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MAIN  LNNtAfrr.AGRtCUl.TURC  BEPT 


The 
Chrysanthemum 

Its  culture  for 
professional  growers  and  amateurs 


A  -practical  treatise 

on  its  propagation,  cultivation, 

training,  raising  for  exhibition  and  market 

hybridizing^   origin 

and  history 

By 
ARTHUR   HERRINGTON 


Illustrated 


NEW  YORK 

ORANGE    JUDD    COMPANY 

1905 


3 

C55H5 


/U) 


COPYRIGHT  1905 

BY 
ORANGE  JUDD  COMPANY 

ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED 


CONTEXTS 

CHAPTER    I 

PAGE 
Introductory  Notes  .......  1 

CHAPTKB   II 
Culture  for  Exhibition  3 


CHAPTER  III 
Composts 11 

CHAPTER  IV 
Planting,  Benches,  Boxes  or  Pots    ....          14 

CHAPTER  V 
General  Cultural  Details 21 

CHAPTER  VI 
Crown  and  Terminal  Buds 27 

CHAPTER  VII 
Feeding,  Its  Object  and  Application       ...          42 

CHAPTER  VIII 
Care  of  the  Buds 64 

CHAPTER  IX 
Exhibition  and  Judging 68 

CHAPTER  X 
Specimen   Plants          ....  .        .          70 

»t » >  t* 


526666 


VI  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  XI 
Chrysanthemum  Plants  in  Six-Inch  Pots      .         .  81 

CHAPTER  XII 
Commercial  Culture 87 

CHAPTER   XIII 
Raising  from  Seed  and  Hybridizing     .         .  94 

CHAPTER  XIV 
Sports 101 

CHAPTER  XV 
Hardy   Chrysanthemums          .         .         .  105 

CHAPTER   XVI 
Chrysanthemums  for  the  South  and  West      .         .         113 

CHAPTER  XVII 
Chrysanthemums  in  Australia         ....         117 

CHAPTER  XVIII 
Insect  Pests  and  Diseases 122 

CHAPTER   XIX 

Classification  and  Selection  of  Varieties  for  Spe- 
cial Purposes 135 

CHAPTER  XX 
History  of  the  Chrysanthemum     ....         149 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

FIG-  PAGE 

1.  Arthur  Harrington Frontispiece 

2.  A  cutting  ready  for  insertion     ....  5 
•°>.     Young^plant  in  right  condition  for  first  potting  7 

4.  Portable  box  with  six  plants    ....  16 

5.  Well  started  young  plant  for  bench  planting 

and  repotting 17 

6.  A  flat  of  good  planting  stock      ....  19 

7.  Portion  of  plant  showing  first  break,  also  where 

first  crown  bud  appeared      .         .         .         .30 

8.  A  crown  bud  ready  to  take     ....  31 

9.  Terminal  buds 32 

10.  A  second  crown  bud  and  terminal  buds  allowed 

to  develop  upon  the  same  plant  ...  33 

11.  A  crown  bud  taken  too  early  ....  36 

12.  Crown  buds  in  different  stages  of  development  37 

lo.     First  and  second  crown  buds,  showing  relative 

difference   in  hio-hts  of  plants  ...  39 

14.  Feeding  vs  ordinary  culture,  showing  difference 

in  vigor  of  two  plants  of  the  same  variety  44 

15.  Feeding  vs  ordinary  culture,  showing  difference 

in  size  of  flowers  both  of  the  same  variety  45 

16.  Exhibition   Chrysanthemums,   properly   packed 

for  shipment 62 

17.  Prize  vase  of  100  Timothy  Eaton    ...  65 


VIII  ILLUSTRATIONS 

FIG.  PAGE 

18.  Effectively   staged   short-stemmed    Chrysanthe- 

mums    ........       66 

19.  Specimen  bush  and  standard   Chrysanthemum 

plants 72 

20.  Specimen   bush   plant   of   Garza,   carrying  800 

blooms .76 

21.  A  perfect  specimen  bush  plant     ...  77 

22.  A  first-prize  bush  plant 78 

23.  Chrysanthemums,  Merza  and  Win.  Duckham,        83 

24.  A  good  Chrysanthemum  house    ....       89 

25.  Chrysanthemums  grown  in  a  grapery     .  91 

26.  Types  of  hardy  Chrysanthemums       .  106 

27.  Chrysanthemums  in  Australia         .  119 

28.  Chrysanthemum,  Cheltoni 136 

29.  Chrysanthemum,  Soleil  d'Octobre  .         .         .          137 

30.  Chrysanthemum,   Wm.  Duckham       .         .         .138 

31.  Chrysanthemum,  Mrs.  Henry  Robinson         .          139 

32.  The  Baby  Chrysanthemum         .         .         .         .144 


CHAPTER  I 

Introductory  Notes 

The  world-wide  popularity  of  the  Chrysanthemum 
and  the  prominence  accorded  it  among  cultivated 
flowers  in  America  are  ample  justification  for  this 
addition  to  the  literature  of  the  flower. 

The  subject  as  a  whole  is  an  alluring  one  and 
it  is  no  matter  for  surprise  that  some  writers  have  let 
speculative  fancy  run  riot  among  the  recorded  facts 
of  the  Chrysanthemum's  gradual  evolution  when  trac- 
ing its  progressive  development  from  its  earliest  types 
up  to  those  that  represent  it  today.  It  is  not  uncom- 
mon,, this  effort  to  show  modern  achievement  to  be  a 
logical  outcome  of  the  past,  irrespective  of  conditions. 
To  sustain  this  conclusion  there  should  be  in  the 
Orient  today  more  flowers  of  the  same  uniform  high 
characteristics  as  those  we  are  so  familiar  with  of 
domestic  origin. 

It  is  only  natural,  now  that  the  progeny  has 
attained  such  merit  and  high,  distinction,  we  should 
manifest  considerable  interest  in  the  parents  of  the 
modern  Chrysanthemum,  and  review  through  genera- 
tions some  of  the  present  day  glory  reflected  from 
their  children. 

Confucius  mentions  the  Chrysanthemum  in  his 
Li-Ki,  but  the  best  history  that  can  be  compiled  is 
fragmentary,  incomplete  and  spread  over  centuries. 
A  compilation  of  accepted  facts,  however,  is  given 
elsewhere  in  this  book  for  the  interest  it  will  naturally 
have  to  those  who  love  this  flower.  A  glance  thereat 
will  show  that  the  Chrysanthemum  which  has  won  the 


THE  CHRYSANTHEMUM 


favor  and  esteem  of  thousands  of  its  votaries  of  today 
is  essentially  a  modern  type  developed  under  changed 
conditions/  in  new  environments.  Its  development 
along  the  lines  that  characterize  it  today  began  in 
Europe,  later  in  America  and  more  recently  in 
Australia  and  New  Zealand. 

There  are  many  Chrysanthemums  in  cultivation 
today  that  do  not  in  any  material  degree  differ  from 
the  early  type  of  centuries  ago;  simple,  modest,  easily- 
grown  flowers,  suggesting  nothing  of  their  long  and 
distinguished  lineage.  The  present  era  of  Chrysanthe- 
mum popularity  has  helped  to  bring  these  into  greater 
prominence.  They  have  a  wide  sphere  of  usefulness 
and  adaptability.  The  essential  purpose  of  this  book, 
however,  is  to  assist  and  direct  the  efforts  of  those  who 
would  grow  and  excel  in  the  production  of  large  flowers, 
such  as  are  seen  at  the  exhibitions  and  in  the  flower 
stores  each  recurring  season. 

It  is  undoubtedly  the  large  Chrysanthemum  that 
has  given  the  impetus  to  culture  and  won  for  it  a 
position  of  promising  permanence.  It  is  inconceivable 
that  a  flower  so  great,  yet  withal  so  graceful,  enliven- 
ing the  waning  year,  can  ever  come  into  marked 
disfavor,  especially  having  regard  to  its  inherent 
variability  which  insures  continuity  of  interest  in  the 
expectation  of  new  creations.  The  stamp  of  public 
approval  is  upon  the  flower.  The  aim  of  this  work  is 
to  enhance  and  enlarge  its  cultivation  by  describing 
in  proper  sequence,  ways  and  means. 

The  successful  grower  may  find  herein  nothing 
new,  nothing  he  did  not  already  know.  The  endeavor 
has  been  to  show  that  not  in  secret  arts  and  practices, 
but.  in  a  plain  course  of  procedure,  as  herein  set  forth, 
are -attained  the  results  as  demonstrated. 


CHAPTER    II 

Culture  for  Exhibition 

In  numbers  and  extent  of  culture  the  Chrysanthe- 
mum probably  ranks  next  to  the  Rose  and  the  Carna- 
tion. But  as  an  exhibition  flower  it  stands  pre-eminent 
and  in  its  brief  season  holds  undisputed  sway.  No 
flower  has  ever  been  so  generally  and  so  successfully 
exploited  for  shows,  and  the  enthusiasm  is  manifested 
in  the  holding  of  scores  of  exhibitions  from  Canada 
to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  from  the  Atlantic  to  the 
Pacific.  This  intensive  cultivation  for  exhibition  dif- 
fers only  from  ordinary  cultivation  in  that  it  is  a 
concentration  of  effort  toward  bringing  each  variety 
to  the  highest  pitch  of  attainable  excellence  in  form, 
finish  and  size;  and  though  some  decry  the  big  blooms 
a>  coarse,,  and  question  the  taste  of  those  who  admire 
them,  yet  the  votaries  of  the  exhibition  blooms  are  in 
the  majority  and  they  have  ample  justification  to 
sustain  their  desire  for  them.  It  is  not  the  ordinary 
horse,  the  range  cattle,  the  dog  of  the  streets,  nor  the 
common  barnyard  fowl  that  attract  visitors  to  the  live 
stock  exhibitions,  although  these  all  fill  their  allotted 
niche  in  the  world's  economy.  Likewise,  if  we  cease 
to  grow  and  hold  exhibitions  of  Chrysanthemums,  the 
interest  in  the  flower,  the  incentive  to  develop,  improve 
old,  and  originate  new  varieties,  may  be  expected  to 
wane.  Exhibition  flowers  are  not  a  product  of  secret 
practices,  but  of  cultural  exactitude,  from  start  to 
finish,  doing  the  right  thing,  in  the  right  way,  at  the 
proper  moment,  in  short,  a  careful  observance  of 


4  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

multitudinous   details   as   set  forth   in   the  pages   of 
this  work. 

PROPAGATION 

In  all  its  stages  the  Chrysanthemum  is  a  plant 
easy  to  grow  and  easy  to  propagate.  Carelessness  is 
begotten  of  ease,  and  future  hopes  may  be  foundered 
at  the  start  by  the  very  simplicity  of  the  commence- 
ment. In  every  case  the  strongest  and  the  best  cut- 
tings procurable  should  be  selected.  The  time  to 
think  about  the  cuttings  is  immediately  after  the 
plants  have  ceased  flowering.  Two  to  three  months 
have  then  to  elapse  before  they  are  actually  required, 
and  it  is  just  in  this  period  of  the  plant's  comparative 
inactivity  that  proper  treatment  is  most  essential  and  as 
often  is  neglected.  If  the  plants  are  allowed  to  stand 
around  in  any  out-of-the-way  place,  perhaps  even 
under  the  greenhouse  bench,  without  regard  to  tem- 
perature or  light,  and  to  make  a  weak,  attenuated 
growth,  they  will  produce  cuttings  that  will  grow  into 
plants,  but  not  such  as  produce  exhibition  blooms.  To 
raise  these,  immediately  after  flowering  the  old  plants 
must  be  given  a.  light,  airy  position  and  the  best  atten- 
tion in  a  temperature  of  about  forty  degrees;  and  in 
return  they  will  give  the  right  kind  of  cuttings  when 
time  for  propagation  arrives. 

Another  method  that  has  been  followed  with 
marked  success,  with  economy  of  space,  and  that  avoids 
the  retaining  of  a  lot  of  old  plants,  is  to  take  a  batch 
of  cuttings  of  each  variety  in  November,  root  these  in 
sand;  when  rooted,  plant  into  flats  and  treat  the  same 
as  old  plants.  When  growing  nicely  the  young  plants 
may  be  pinched  once  and  they  will  break  into  several 
shoots  which  make  admirable  cuttings,  even  better  than 
those  secured  from  the  old  stock.  If  the  old  plants  are 
to  be  relied  upon  for  the  future  cuttings,  they  should 


CFLTUKE   FOR    EXHIBITION 


be  encouraged  to  start  vigorously,  by  giving  them  a 
light,  airy  position,  and,  if  bench  space  can  be  spared, 
it  would  pay  to  plant  them  out  in  a  light,  open  com- 
post. Even  plants  that  have  been  kept  in  pots  are 
greatly  iftnefited  by  being  thus  planted,  as  the  old  soil 
about  the  roots  is  exhausted  or  sour,  and  the  little 


Fig.  2 — A  CUTTING  READY  FOR  INSERTION 

fresh  soil  will  be  found  a  great  stimulus  to  the  pro- 
duction of  a  healthy  growth  of  shoots  for  cuttings. 
Chrysanthemums  may  be  propagated  from  Jan- 
uary to  June  according  to  the  purposes  for  which  they 
are  to  be  grown,  but  plants  that  are  to  be  grown  solely 
for  exhibition  blooms  should  be  propagated  during 
March  or  early  in  April.  If  the  old  plants  have  been. 


6  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

rightly  treated  they  will  have  abundance  of  growth 
suitable  for  cuttings  by  the  first  week  in  March. 
European  growers  propagate  much  earlier,  in  Decem- 
ber and  January,  but  this  is  necessitated  by  the  cooler 
climate  and  diminished  sunshine.  A  careful  Hest  was 
conducted  with  plants  propagated  in  January  and 
others  of  the  same  variety  in  March,  but  the  results 
did  not  show  any  gain  in  favor  of  the  earlier  date  as 
applying  to  the  general  collection.  An  occasional 
exception  may  arise  when  a  particular  variety,  naturally 
of  slow  growth,  may  be  benefited  by  earlier  propaga- 
tion. The  variety  Major  Bonnaffon  was  one,  but  a  wise 
general  rule,  for  our  practice,  is  to  get  all  exhibition 
stock  propagated  in  March. 

Selection  of  the  cuttings  calls  for  some  careful 
discrimination.  There  are  shoots  to  avoid  as  well  as 
shoots  to  propagate,  but  selection  is  easy  in  the 
majority  of  varieties  which  throw  up  around  the  base 
of  the  old  stem  an  abundance  of  clean,  straight  young 
shoots,  any  of  which  cut  off  when  about  three  inches 
in  length,  cut  to  a  joint  and  the  lower  leaf  removed, 
makes  a  suitable  cutting,  as  shown  in  Fig.  2.  The 
shoots  to  avoid  are  any  that  may  be  yellow,  weak  or 
unhealthy,  and  more  especially  any  that  show  an 
embryo  flower  bud  at  the  tip.  An  exception  to 
this  last  undesirable  condition  has  occasionally  to 
be  made,  as  a  few  varieties  are  addicted  to  this  prema- 
ture bud  development,  for  example,  Viviand  Morel  and 
W.  R.  Church,  but  they  will,  shortly  after  rooting, 
develop  a  growing  shoot  from  a  latent  axillary  bud. 
As  soon  as  possible  after  the  cuttings  have  been  taken 
off  and  prepared,  they  should  be  inserted  in  the  medium 
in  which  they  are  to  be  rooted. 

The  usual  custom  is  to  insert  the  cuttings  in  a 
bed  of  clean,  sharp  sand  in  a  propagating  house, 
similar  to  the  methods  pursued  for  Roses  and  Carna- 


CULTURE   FOR   EXHIBITION 


tions,  but  cooler  treatment  is  necessary,  no  bottom  heat 
is  needed-  and  a  temperature  of  fifty  degrees  is  suf- 
ficient. The  bed  should  be  given  a  thorough  watering 
when  the  cuttings  are  in,  and  if  the  house  is  not  on 


Fig.   3 — YOUNG  PLANT  IN   RIGHT   CONDITION  FOR  FIRST 
POTTING 

a  northern  aspect  they  must  be  shaded  from  bright 
sun,  and  be  slightly  sprayed  overhead  on  bright  days, 
the  aim  being  to  keep  them  in  a  fresh,  plump  con- 
dition till  roots  are  emitted.  Small  growers  having  a 
few  plants,  and  who  have  not  the  convenience  of  a 
propagating  house,  may  prefer  to  insert  the  cuttings 


8  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

singly  in  small  pots.  These  should  be  filled  with 
light  sandy  soil,  and  the  surface  of  the  soil  covered 
with  sand,  inserting  one  cutting  in  each  pot.  A  small 
frame  or  some  hand  glasses  should  be  available  to 
cover  them  till  rooted,  the  general  treatment  being 
the  same.  The  cuttings  in  the  sand  bed  should  be 
rooted  and  in  a  condition  for  potting  in  from  two  to 
three  weeks.  They  will  soon  show  their  readiness  by 
their  sturdy  look  and  disposition  to  commence  growing, 
and  should  be  taken  in  hand  immediately. 

It  is  a  great  mistake  to  leave  them  standing  in 
the  sand  till  they  have  made  two  or  three  inches  of 
growth,  for  there  is  no  nutriment  in  the  sand,  the 
growth  so  made  is  naturally  weak,*  and  the  check 
experienced  when  they  are  potted  is  a  severe  one,  with 
resultant  loss  of  valuable  time  before  the  young  plants 
recover  and  get  established  in  the  soil.  The  roots, 
too,  get  long  and  straggling  and  are  greatly  injured 
in  the  removal.  When  the  roots  have  attained  about 
an  inch  in  length  is  the  best  time  to  pot  the  young 
plants.  Fig.  3  shows  a  rooted  cutting  in  just  the  right 
condition  for  potting  so  that  it  will  take  to  the  soil 
and  grow  on  without  serious  check  or  loss  of  time. 

TREATMENT  OF  YOUNG  PLANTS 

When  the  rooted  cuttings  are  taken  from  the  prop- 
agating bed  they  should  be  potted  singly  in  small 
pots,  or  if  a  very  large  number  are  being  grown  it 
may  be  found  more  convenient  to  plant  them  in  small 
boxes  or  "flats."  From  now  onward  applied  skill 
counts.  If  the  plants  are  started  rightly  in  their 
initial  stage  the  future  will  be  one  of  continuous 
progression.  The  compost  or  soil  into  which  they  are 
to  be  potted  is  the  first  and  most  important  considera- 
tion. It  should  be  light,  open,  sweet  and  conducive 
to  free  rooting,  with  a  resultant  sturdy,  short-jointed 


CULTURE   FOR   EXHIBITION  9 

growth  of  the  plant.  This  is  best  attained  by  using 
fibrous  loam,  mixing  leaf  soil  therewith  in  the  pro- 
portion of  about  one  part  to  three  of  loam.  A  little 
wood  ashes  may  be  advantageously  added,  also  sand 
if  the  loam  is  of  a  heavy,  adhesive  character,  but  stim- 
ulating manures  must  be  avoided,  for  the  plant  is  yet 
but  an  infant,  incapable  of  assimilating  rich  food; 
and  its  presence  in  the  soil  at  this  stage  of  growth 
would  retard  progress.  Growth  cannot  be  forced  in 
this  early  stage  and  any  attempt  to  do  so  will  result 
in  disaster. 

After  potting,  the  plants  may  remain  in  the 
greenhouse  for  a  week  or  two  until  nicely  established, 
meanwhile  discretion  in  regard  to  watering  must  be 
exercised.  For  a  few  days  a  light  spraying  overhead 
may  be  all  that  is  needed  till  the  new  roots  commence 
to  run  .freely  in  the  soil,  after  which  water  will  be 
required  freely.  As  soon  as  possible,  when  conditions 
of  weather  permit,  the  plants  should  be  taken  out  of 
the  greenhouses  and  placed  in  cold  frames.  This  may 
seem  a  small  matter,  entailing  labor  out  of  all  pro- 
portion to  apparent  benefits,  but  the  cold  frame  treat- 
ment induces  a  short-jointed,  sturdy  growth,  vigor 
and  hardiness  of  constitution  not  attainable  in  the 
greenhouse,  especially  if  artificial  heat  is  used.  Should 
frost  occur  at  night  it  is  an  easy  matter  to  protect 
the  tender  plants  by  covering  the  frames  with  mats. 

When  they  are  first  placed  in  the  frames  care 
must  be  exercised  in  giving  air,  but  after  a  week  or 
ten  days  air  may  be  applied  freely  when  the  temper- 
ature is  above  forty  degrees,  and  on  warm,  genial  days 
the  sash  may  be  drawn  off  entirely  and  the  plants  will 
revel  in  the  atmospheric  conditions.  When  high  drying 
winds  prevail,  it  is  better  not  to  thus  expose  the  plants 
or  they  will  dry  out  too  fast  and  need  watering  every 
hour,  but  the  sash  may  be  tilted  from  the  direction 


10  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

opposite  to  the  wind.  As  the  season  advances  and 
the  weather  gets  wanner  the  sash  may  be  left  off 
entirely.  The  young  plants  will  be  greatly  benefited 
by  careful  syringing,  not  soaking  them  with  excess  of 
water,  but  a  thorough  wetting  of  the  foliage  with  a 
light,  dewy  spray,  especially  toward  the  close  of  a  warm, 
drying  day.  A  careful  guard  must  be  maintained 
against  insect  pests,  both  green  and  black  fly  being 
liable  to  appear  and  to  speedily  work  great  injury  by 
crippling  the  growing  tips  of  the  young  plants.  At 
this  stage  sprinkling  with  tobacco  dust  is  a  safe  and 
most  effectual  remedy. 


CHAPTER    III 

Composts 

Chrysanthemums  can  be  grown  in  every  kind  of 
soil  with  a  certain  measure  of  success,  and  it  often 
happens  that  the  grower  has  to  do  the  best  he  can 
with  what  he  knows  to  be  an  unsuitable  medium.  But 
the  grower  whose  aim  is  to  get  as  near  perfection  as 
possible,  gives  time  and  thought  to  the  preparation 
of  the  soil  in  which  his  plants  are  to  be  finally  planted 
or  potted  to  grow  up  to  maturity,  knowing  well  that 
errors  in  this  regard  may  defeat  the  best  of  skill.  As 
the  plastic  clay  is  in  the  hands  of  the  molder,  so  in 
much  the  same  manner  must  the  compost  be  to  the 
grower,  capable,  as  it  were,  of  accelerating  or  restrain- 
ing in  its  effects  in  accordance  with  the  plant's  needs. 

At  the  start,  its  adaptability  to  encourage  free, 
vigorous  growth  is  most  essential,  with  ample  food 
stores  to  keep  /the  plant  progressing,  but  large  addi- 
tional food  stores  both  in  liquid  and  solid  form  must 
later  be  added,  and  this  involves  attention  to  the 
mechanical  texture,  so  that  the  later  applications  of 
plant  food  may  be  received  into  the  plant's  larder  with- 
out "causing  stagnation  of  the  soil  or  congestion  of  the 
plant's  root  system.  In  short,  the  soil  selected  should 
have  body  or  consistency  to  sustain  growth,  and 
porosity  to  permit  of  the  free  passage  of  water.  There 
is  nothing  better  than  rotted  sod,  and  if  good  sod 
be  obtainable,  its  preparation  should  begin  some  time 
in  advance. 

Late  in  the  fall  of  the  previous  year  a  compost 
heap  may  be  put  together  by  stacking  the  sod,  grass 


12  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

side  downward,  and  intermingling  layers  of  good, 
fresh  cow  manure  in  the  proportion  of  four  loads  of 
sod  to  one  of  manure.  This  will  break  down  in  spring 
into  a  nice,  free  working  compost,  and  will  be  im- 
proved by  the  addition  of  some  wood  ashes  or  burnt 
refuse  from  the  garden  crematory,  also  the  addition  of 
a  little  bone  meal  will  complete  a  compost  that  is  all- 
sufficient  for  the  plant's  needs  through  the  first  stage 
of  its  career. 

If  preparation  of  the  compost  be  left  entirely  till 
spring  the  addition  of  fresh  cow  or  horse  manure 
should  be  avoided;  that  which  has  been  lying  in  a 
heap  for  some  time,  and  is  decayed,  should  be  chosen 
instead,  as  the  fresh  product  is  altogether  too  stim- 
ulating, and  inimical  to  strong,  healthy  growth.  If 
the  loam  is  of  a  close  or  adhesive  character  sufficient 
sand  should  be  added  to  make  it  work  freely  and  to 
keep  it  open  by  thoroughly  mixing  with  it  this  and 
any  other  suitable  ingredients,  so  as  to  ensure  perfect 
incorporation  by  turning  the  heap  at  least  twice. 
From  the  foregoing  it  will  be  seen  that  a  good  loam  is 
the  foundation  and  chief  bulk  of  a  proper  Chrysan- 
themum compost  and  the  added  material  is  solely  for 
ameliorating  the  condition  of  the  soil^  or  to  further 
enrich  it.  The  amount  of  added  materials  must  in  all 
cases  be  chiefly  determined  by  the  quality  and  texture 
of  the  soil  at  command. 

To  achieve  success,  a  grower  must  know  his  soil 
and  treat  it  accordingly,  and  his  success  is  just  in 
proportion  to  the  extent  of  his  understanding  it  and 
interpreting  its  needs.  It  is  not  as  some,  even  at 
this  date,  suppose,  due  to  the  possession  of  a  secret 
formula,  a  fanciful  mixture  of  a  variety  of  ingredi- 
ents. There  is  nothing  of  mystery  nor  of  uncertainty 
in  preparing  a  proper  compost.  All  it  requires  is  the 
recognition  of  the  fundamental  fact  that  the  Chrysan- 


COMPOSTS  13 

themum  of  today  is  a  gross  feeder,  and  needs  a  soil 
fully  enriched  to  the  point  of  safety  at  the  start,  and 
to  which  additional  food  may  be  added  by  methods 
heretofore  described  in  accordance  with  the  necessities 
of  the  plant's  growth. 


CHAPTER    IV 

Planting  Benches.,  Boxes  or  Pots 

In  regard  to  future  culture,  American  methods 
differ  widely  from  those  of  European  countries, 
where  pot  culture  prevails,  and  the  plants  for  many 
weeks  stand  in  the  open  air.  Extremes  of  climate 
debar  such  treatment  here,  for  if  the  season  be  fine 
the  scorching  heat  and  drying  winds  are  most  adverse, 
while  in  a  wet  season  the  heavy  rains  keep  the  plants 
continually  soaked  so  that  healthy  growth  is  an  impos- 
sibility. Except  in  the  South  and  the  extreme  West, 
the  large-flowered  types  of  Chrysanthemum,  whether 
for  exhibition  or  for  commercial  cut  flower  culture, 
must,  from  the  final  potting  or  planting,  be  kept  en- 
tirely under  glass  for  the  remainder  of  their  season. 
To  this  there  can  be  no  exception.  But  the  manner 
of  growing  the  plants  under  glass  may  be  varied  to 
meet  the  requirements  of  the  place. 

It  has  been  demonstrated  many  times  that  the 
very  best  of  exhibition  flowers  can  be  grown  upon  the 
average  American  greenhouse  bench,  which  provides 
four  inches  of  soil;  therefore  those  who  have  a  house 
with  such  benches  .  may  unhesitatingly  adopt  that 
method.  Little  need  here  be  said  about  bench  con- 
struction, which  may  be  cheap  and  of  lumber  entirely, 
needing  frequent  renewal,  or  permanent  of  tile  and 
cement.  Beyond  this  the  bench  is  better  raised  above 
the  ground,  if  only  one  foot,  the  hight,  of  course,  being 
chiefly  determined  by  the  style  of  house  and  available 
hight  for  the  plants  to  grow.  The  length  is  deter- 
mined by  the  house,  but  the  width  is  a  matter  for 


PLANTING    BENCHES,    J'.OXES    (Mi    TOTS  15 

careful  consideration.  If  the  house  can  be  practically 
and  economically  so  arranged  it  is  desirable  to  have 
no  bench  for  Chrysanthemums  wider  than  four  feet. 
Such  a  bench  will  accommodate  five  rows  of  plants, 
and  its  center  is  at  all  times  easily  accessible  from 
either  side,  although  this  is  not  the  paramount  con- 
sideration. A  full  circulation  of  air  among  the  plants 
is  at  all  time's  desirable  and  not  always  easy  of  attain- 
ment in  fhe  still,  hot,  humid  days  of  August.  In 
benches  wider  than  here  stated  the  central  rows  of 
plants  will  not  grow  as  strong,  nor  produce  generally 
as  fine  flowers,  and  should  leaf  spot  or  any  diseases 
^f  the  foliage  appear,  they  will  be  difficult  to  control. 

Several  years  of  experience  with  benches  up  to 
six  feet  in  width  confirmed  the  observation  that  the 
wide  bench  was  a  predisposing  factor  to  attack  when 
detrimental  atmospheric  conditions  prevailed.  A  four- 
foot  bench  will  accommodate  five  rows  of  plants,  each 
row  ten  inches  apart,  and  there  should  be  a  space  of 
at  least  nine  inches  between  the  plants  in  the  rows. 
An  occasional  small-leaved  variety  will  stand  closer 
planting,  but  in  a  general  way  the  distance  given 
should  be  the  rule. 

In  preparing  the  bench  for  planting,  careful 
attention  should  be  given  to  the  drainage.  The  open 
spaces  between  the  boards  should  be  covered  with 
some  coarse  material,  such  as  the  rougher  portions  of 
the  compost  heap,  so  as  to  ensure  keeping  them  open 
for  the  passage  of  water.  If  fresh  sod  or  turf  be 
plentiful  a  good  plan  is  to  cut  some  of  this  and  lay 
it,  grass  side  down,  over  the  drainage  spaces.  It  will 
keep  them  open  throughout  the  season  and  the  roots 
will  not  be  averse  to  it  when  they  get  within  its  reach. 
The  bench  should  be  filled  well  up  level  to  the  top,  as 
the  necessary  firming  of  the  soil  after  planting  will 
reduce  it  to  the  right  level. 


16 


THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 


If  propagation  and  subsequent  treatment  have  been 
along  the  lines  recommended  the  plants  will  be  in  the 
best  condition  for  planting  by  May  and  there  should 
be  no  delay  in  getting  the  plants  in  the  benches. 


Fig.  4 PORTABLE  BOX  WITH  SIX  PLANTS 

The  first  half  of  the  month  of  May  is  a  perfectly  safe 
time  in  which  to  complete  planting,  nor  is  it  safe  to 
defer  planting  till  a  later  date  if  the  best  grade  of 
exhibition  flowers  is  the  object.  As  many  kinds  will 
be  grown,  of  varying  hights,  and  not  a  few  having 
other  peculiarities  that  call  for  special  or  extra  careful 


PLANTING  BI-:NCIII>.   i;n.\E8  on  POTS  17 


Fig.    5 WELL    STARTED    YOUNG    PLANT    FOR    BENCH 

PLANTING  OR  REPOTTING 

treatment  later,  it  is  better  to  keep  them  in  groups 
or  blocks  across  the  bench  than  to  extend  them  to  the 


18  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

limit  in  line,  as  by  so  doing  the  grower  has  them 
under  better  control.  Varieties  differ,  often  to  a 
marked  degree,  in  their  requirements  both  as  to  water 
and  food,  and  when  these  peculiarities  are  known, 
advantage  may  be  taken  thereof  in  the  arrangement 
of  the  plants  upon  the  benches  previous  to  the  planting, 
so  as  to  simplify  future  operations. 

To  start  the  plants  growing  rightly,  it  is  most 
important  to  plant  firmly.  Equal  care  should  be  given 
to  every  plant,  by  making  the  soil  immediately 
surrounding  it  thoroughly  firm.  If  the  soil  be 
naturally  inclined  to  be  light  and  on  the  dry  side  at 
planting  time,  hand  pressure  may  not  suffice,  but 
should  be  supplemented  by  pounding  with  a  half  brick 
or  something  similarly  suitable.  When  all  the  plants 
are  in  position,  the  entire  soil  of  the  bench  must  be 
firmed  in  the  same  manner,  leaving  a  small  depression 
around  each  plant  to  retain  the  *water,  which  for  the 
first  few  waterings  must  be  given  to  the  plant  only, 
without  watering  the  entire  body  of  soil.  When  plant- 
ing and  compacting  the  soil  are  completed  the 
surface  should  be  one  inch  below  the  edges  of  the 
bench,  not  only  to  facilitate  watering  but  to  permit  of 
subsequent  top  dressing. 

The  same  methods  may  be  pursued,  and  with  equal 
success,  by  planting  into  portable  boxes  of  a  conven- 
ient size.  A  box  five  feet  long  and  nine  inches  wide 
will  accommodate  six  plants,  as  seen  in  Fig.  4,  or  a 
square  box  may  be  made  to  contain  the  same  number. 
Some  of  the  best  flowers  ever  shown  in  this  country 
were  grown  in  just  such  boxes.  The  plan  has  much 
to  recommend  it  to  those  who  grow  a  limited  number 
of  plants,  or  who  may  not  have  sufficient  room  to  give 
up  a  whole  house  entirely  to  Chrysanthemums.  It  has 
the  additional  merit  of  the  availability  of  the  plants 
for  decorative  use,  wherever  desired,  when  so  grown. 


PLANTING    BENCHES,    BOXES    UK   POTS 


19 


Fig.    6 — A   FLAT  OF  GOOD  PLANTING   STOCK 

Pot  culture  for  exhibition  blooms  is  only  occasionally 
practiced  in  this  country  and  perhaps  more  from  neces- 
sity than  from  choice.  The  plants  are  then  potted  into 


20  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

eight-inch  pots,  but  in  all  other  respects  the  treatment 
is  the  same,  as  even  the  potted  plants  must  be  kept 
under  glass  all  the  time.  A  young  plant  well  started 
in  life  and  suitable  for  bench  planting  or  growing  on 
in  a  larger  pot  is  seen  in  Fig.  5.  A  flat  'of  good 
planting  stock  is  shown  in  Fig.  6. 


CHAPTER    V 

General  Cultural  Details 

In  Hbout  one  week  after  planting,  the  young 
plants  will  begin  to  show  signs  of  renewed  activity. 
Let  them  start  clean.  The  only  thing  likely  to  infest 
them  at  this  early  date  is  green,  or  black  fly,  and- 
every  effort  should  be  made  to  extirpate  these  pests 
immediately  the  plants  are  in  their  permanent 
quarters,  b}r  sprinkling  with  tobacco  dust  or  by  several 
successive  fumigations.  Neglect  to  do  so  will  have 
disastrous  consequences  that  can  hardly  be  remedied. 
Moreover,  once  started  into  a  clean,  vigorous  growth, 
this  satisfactory  condition  will  probably  continue  for 
many  weeks  without  a  renewed  attack.  It  is  now 
entirely  a  question  of  the  grower  playing  the  master 
hand,  with  a  full  realization  of  the  fact  that  the  grow- 
ing period  is  a  time  of  little  things,  an  infinity  of 
apparently  trifling  details,  not  one  of  which,  however, 
can  be  trifled  with.  The  measure  of  success  ultimately 
attained  is  just  in  proportion  to  the  attention  given 
to  detail,  and  the  doing  each  day,  and  week,  the 
things  necessary  to  be  done,  promptly  and  efficiently. 

VENTILATION 

Our  American  method  of  growing  Chrysanthe- 
mums entirety  under  glass,  though  necessitated  by  the 
uncertainty  and  changeableness  of  weather,  is  still 
somewhat  of  an  unnatural  cultural  condition.  This 
has  to  be  compromised  or  remedied  by  free  and  abund- 
ant ventilation.  Of  all  the  plants  we  grow  beneath 


22  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

the  glass,  Chrysanthemums  give  least  trouble  in  this 
regard.  When  planting  is  finished  all  the  ventilating 
sash,  top  and  bottom,  should  be  thrown  open,  and  the 
doors  likewise,  forgetting  that  they  are  open,  for  they 
need  not  be  closed  for  several  months,  except  in  the 
emergency  of  violent  summer  windstorms,  when,  they 
may  have  to  be  closed  for  a  short  period  to  preserve 
the  house  intact.  All  the  summer  air  currents  should 
be  allowed  to  circulate  freely  through  the  house, 
among  the  plants,  and  when  the  air  is  superheated, 
or  of  scorching  aridity,  it  is  the  work  of  the  grower 
to  charge  it  with  essential  moisture,  or  in  other  words, 
create  a  growing  atmosphere  within  the  house.  How 
best  and  how  often  it  may  be  necessary  to  do  this, 
brings  us  to  the  consideration  of  that  all  important, 
detail — 

WATERING 

To  the  misuse  of  water  may  be  attributed  most 
of  the  failures  or  shortcomings  in  all  plant  culture. 
There  is  no  art  in  the  application  of  this  essential 
element,  but  a  well  balanced  judgment,  born  of  keen 
observation  alone,  can  guide  the  grower.  Man  has 
systematized  .his  feeding,  and  for  convenience  adheres  to 
fixed  periods.  The  inexperienced  amateur  may,  there- 
fore,, be  pardoned  for  asking  at  what  hour  and  how 
many  times  a  day  he  should  water  his  plants.  Under 
glass  the  grower  has  his  plants  in  perfect  control  and 
it  becomes  a  test  of  his  knowledge  and  ability. 

No  definite  instructions  can  be  laid  down  as  to 
time  of  application,  as  so  many  diverse  conditions  arise. 
The  only  way  to  extend  a  helping  hand  is  to  cite 
general  conditions  governed  entirely  by  watering  and 
to  point  out  the  evils  that  arise  from  either  excess  or 
insufficiency.  The  desired  condition  of  the  soil  is  one 
of  uniform  moisture  in  all  its  parts,  so  as  to  encourage 


CULTURAL    DETAILS  23 

the  roots  to  work  freely,  and  build  up  a  robust  plant. 
If  the  roots  be  too  dry  it  is  obvious  there  must  be 
a  resultant  check  to  growth,  through  the  inability  of 
the  roots  to  gather  supplies.  The  check  may  be  slight, 
and  the  cause  of  temporary  duration,  and  soon  rectified, 
but  a  repetition  of  the  error  may  follow  several  times, 
till  the  plant  gets  into  a  thin,  hard  condition  of  growth 
beyond  li^pe  of  rectification,  and  consequently  is 
utterly  unable  to  attain  ultimate  possible  perfection 
of  bloom. 

In  an  opposite  direction  an  excess  of  water  leads 
to  saturation  of  the  soil,  which  from  lack  of  aeration 
becomes  sour,  the  roots  fail  in  the  proper  performance 
of  their  functions,  and  evidence  of  the  same  is  soon 
apparent  in  an  unhealthy  looking  plant  of  a  sickly 
yellow  color.  Immediately  after  planting  the  utmost 
care  must  be  exercised  and  only  the  soil  immediately 
surrounding  the  plant  need  be  watered.  About  two 
weeks  after  planting  will  generally  be  soon  enough  for 
watering  the  entire  surface  of  the  bench,  and  from 
that  time  onward,  water  must  be  given  as  required, 
and  each  time  in  sufficient  quantity  to  wet  the  bed 
of  soil  thoroughly  throughout.  The  closest  attention 
to  watering  must  be  maintained,  especially  through  the 
hot  weather  in  July  and  August,  but  as  shorter  cooler 
days  arrive,  a  diminished  need  will  manifest  itself. 
Water  at  the  root  alone,  however,  does  not  suffice  to 
build  up  robust  plants  that  will,  later,  be  crowned  with 
noble  flowers. 

During  the  heated  period  transpiration  of  mois- 
ture from  the  leaves  of  the  plant  will  be  more  rapid 
than  the  roots  can  supply.  To  counteract  or  check  this 
excessive  evaporation  and  to  maintain  from  start  to 
finish  a  vigorous  leaf  growth,  recourse  must  be  had 
to  syringing  and  overhead  watering,  as  well  as  for  the 


THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

purpose  of  warding  off  attacks  of  insect  pests.  Over- 
head spraying  of  the  plants  must  therefore  be  frequent 
and  thorough,  to  keep  the  atmosphere  well  charged 
with  moisture,  but  wetting  the  soil  in  the  benches  too 
much  must  be  avoided,  and  care  exercised  that  any 
slight  wetting  of  the  surface  soil  may  not  mislead  as 
to  its  actual  condition  of  moisture,  beneath  the  surface. 
This  overhead  -spraying,  to  be  thoroughly  effective, 
should  be  light  and  frequently  given.  It  may  be 
necessary  five  or  six  times  a  day  during  great  heat  and 
drouth,  and  not  confined  to  the  plants  alone,  but  the 
roof  inside  should  be  sprayed  as  well,  and  the  floor  of 
the  house  thoroughly  wetted  down.  Overhead  watering 
should  be  greatly  diminished  as  summer  wanes  and 
the  need  for  it  is  no  longer  paramount.  A  light, 
thorough  spraying  of  the  plants  must  be  kept  up, 
however,  as  an  antidote  to  insect  pests,  but  careful 
judgment  must  be  used  with  the  advent  of  cooler  days, 
6r  it  may  induce  other  leaf  diseases  of  a  fungous 
nature.  After  the  beginning  of  September  it  is  well 
not  to  spray  the  foliage  after  3  p.  m.,  so  that  the  plants 
will  be  dry  by  night. 

TYING 

Preparations  must  be  made  in  the  early  stages  of 
the  young  plants'  growth  for  their  subsequent  tying 
and  training,  a  comparatively  easy  matter  when  they 
are  grown  upon  benches.  Several  systems  are  prac- 
ticed. Some  run  lines  of  wire  along  each  row  of 
plants  a  few  inches  above  the  soil,  and  corresponding 
lines  of  wire  three,  four  or  more  feet  high,  stretching 
the  wires  tight  to  braced  iron  or  wooden  frames 
attached  to  the  ends  of  the  benches.  Strings  are  then 
tied  perpendicularly,  and  the  plants  tied  to  the  strings 
as  they  grow  up.  For  strongly  growing  exhibition 


GEXEKAL    CTI.TFRAL    DETAILS  25 

Chr}rsanthemums  this  method  has  marked  disadvan- 
tages, especially  in  its  lack  of  stability  as  the  flowers 
attain  size  and  weight. 

Probably  the  best  way  to  train  the  exhibition 
stock  is  to  strain  overhead  wires  as  before  advised  at 
bights  approximating  that  of  the  growth  of  the  varie- 
ties;  then  placing  to  each  plant  one  of  the  ordinary 
commercial  ^galvanized  wire  plant  stakes,  which  are 
held  in  position  by  the  soil  at  the  base,  and  can  be 
securely  tied  to  the  wires  above.  These  make  light, 
neat  and  rigid  supports,  at  all  times,  and  are  much 
to  be  preferred  to  cane  stakes,  which,  from  their 
thickness,  when  used  in  large  number,  cast  consider- 
able shade  upon  the  young  plants.  These  wire  stakes 
are  obtainable  in  varying  lengths  up  to  six  feet,  and 
last  indefinitely,  and,  moreover,  something  may  be  said 
for  their  cleanliness  as  compared  with  strings  and 
canes  that  harbor  insects  when  any  of  these  pests 
abound. 

SIDE    SHOOTS    AXD    SUCKERS 

The  removal  of  superfluous  growth  is  an  operation 
that  entails  a  lot  of  patient  labor,  but  nevertheless  calls 
for  efficient  performance.  After  the  plants  are  grow- 
ing vigorously,  lateral  growth  in  the  form  of  side 
shoots  arising  from  the  axil  of  each  leaf  will  appear 
continuously.  All  these  should  be  pinched  out,  or 
rubbed  out,  as  soon  as  they  are  large  enough  to  handle, 
observing  due  care  not  to  injure  the  main  leaves,  also 
not  allowing  these  shoots  to  grow  unduly,  as  they 
quickly  will.  This  is  just  one  of  the  operations  that 
can  be  put  off  till  tomorrow  without  apparent  harm, 
but  is  better  done  today,  as  each  day  for  many  days 
will  have  its  quota  of  superfluous  growths  needing 
removal.  Prompt  action  in  this  keeps  the  plant's 
energies  concentrated  upon  the  main  stem,  and  delay 


26  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

means  a  wasting  of  the  same  energies  in  nourishing 
growth  to  be  subsequently  removed.  The  early  morn- 
ing hours  will  be  found  a  good  time  to  do  this  work, 
as  the  shoots  are  fresh  and  firm  and  rub  out  easily 
and  much  more  quickly  than  in  the  later  hours  of 
bright  sunshine.  The  work  is  tedious,  but  it  has  com- 
pensating advantages.  One  becomes  so  closely  ob- 
servant of  the  minor  differences  and  peculiarities  of 
varieties  as  to  be  able  ultimately  to  know  them  all  at 
a  glance,  without  reference  to  labels.  As  the  season 
advances  there  will  be  suckers,  or  shoots,  from  the 
roots  and  base  of  the  plant,  pushing  through  the  soil, 
and  starting  up  on  a  career  of  their  own,  in  imitation 
of  their  parents.  At  this  stage  of  growing  they  are 
robbers  of  the  parental  larder  and  speedy  removal 
must  be  the  penalty  for  them,  or  they  will  soon 
penalize  the  grower's  hopes  and  ambitions,  but  their 
removal  may  cease  as  the  flowers  attain  maturity,  for 
these  self-same  shoots  are  to  furnish  the  future  re- 
quired stock. 


CHAPTEE    VI 

Crown  and  Terminal  Buds 

"Taking  the  bud"  is  a  term  in  common  use  with 
all  Chrysanthemum  growers,  but  the  expression  is 
paradoxical  and  may,,  in  part,  account  for  the  hazy, 
uncertain  notions  that  generally  prevail,  especially 
among  amateurs,  in  regard  to  this  most  important 
detail.  Good  culture  availeth  nothing  if  from  want 
of  actual  knowledge  there  be  an  improper  or  untimely 
selection  of  the  bud  that  is  to  develop  ultimately  into 
a  flower.-  The  bud  question,  therefore,  is  one  calling 
for  close,  careful  observation.  It  is  a  matter,  too,  upon 
which  many  who  might  be  presumed  to  know  are  not 
really  well  informed,  especially  as  to  the  appearance, 
characteristic  features,  different  possibilities  and  treat- 
ment of  the  several  buds  that  appear  upon  the  plants 
during  their  season  of  growth. 

For  the  benefit  of  the  uninitiated  it  should  first 
be  stated  that  the  term  "taking  the  bud"  means  in 
actual  practice,  selecting  the  bud.  The  operation  of 
"taking"  it  is  the  removal  of  surrounding  shoots  or  buds 
so  as  to  concentrate  the  plant's  entire  energies  upon  the 
bud  "taken"  or  selected  for  future  flowering.  The 
matter  is  somewhat  abstruse  because  the  Chrysanthe- 
mum has  marked  peculiarities  of  bud  development  as 
compared  with  other  flowering  plants  we  grow.  A  bud 
formed  upon  a  Rose  or  a  Carnation  develops  into  a 
flower  at  any  time  or  season  of  the  year.  Chrysan- 
themums form  buds  that  never  advance  beyond  an 
incipient  stage,  a  temporary  cessation  of  growth  is 


28  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

apparent,  then  nature,  as  it  were,  comes  to  the  rescue 
with  renewal  of  growth  continued  for  a  few  weeks, 
when  another  bud  appears.  There  is  a  period  when 
man  can  safely  arrest  the  natural  course  of  things  and 
by  timely  selection  of  bud  and  manipulation  of  growth 
secure  a  larger  flower  than  would  be  ordinarily  pro- 
duced were  the  plant  left  to  its  own  inclination  and 
permitted  to  continue  on  to  that  stage  of  completed 
growth  and  final  bud  formation. 

To  make  the  nature  and  time  of  appearance  of  the 
several  buds  thoroughly  understood,  we  must,  in  imag- 
ination, follow  the  plant  through  its  course  of  growth. 
If  the  'plants  were  planted,  as  advised,  early  in  May, 
they  will  have  attained  a  length  of  about  eighteen 
inches  by  the  middle  of  June  and  for  a  few  days 
growth  apparently  ceases.  A  close  examination  will 
show  that  a  flower  bud  has  formed  at  the  top  of  the 
growing  plant  right  in  the  point  of  the  shoot;  this  bud 
would  not  attain  to  maturity,  therefore  no  thought  is 
given  to  selecting  it.  It  makes  what  growers  tech- 
nically call  the  first  break,  and  appropriately  so,  be- 
cause it  is  a  break  in  the  continuity  of  growth  which 
ceases  at  the  point  of  the  bud's  formation.  These  buds 
may  be  pinched  out,  although  this  is  not  an  absolute 
necessity,  as  the  plant  immediately  proceeds  to  de- 
velop other  shoots  which  spring  from  the  axil  or  base 
of  the  leaf  stalk  of  the  leaves  just  below  the  bud.  A 
number  of  these  new  growths  appear,  all  of  which 
could,  of  course,  be  continued  and  would  grow  up  and 
produce  flowers.  Our  object,  however,  is  one  large 
bloom  on  a  single  stem,  therefore  the  plant's  energies 
must  be  again  directed  in  a  single  channel  by  the 
selection  of  one  of  the  several  shoots  and  the  removal 
of  the  others.  The  best  placed  shoot  nearest  to  the 
bud,  which  generally  is  the  second  shoot  below  the  bud, 


CROWX    AND    TERMINAL    BUDS  29 

is  consequently  chosen  to  continue  growth,  and  all  the 
others  are  pinched  or  rubbed  out. 

As  growth  continues  the  shoot  is  tied  up,  thus 
continuing  the  single  stem,  but  the  point  is  well 
marked  upon  every  plant  where  it  made  the  first  break 
by  an  excrescence  or  knot  in  the  stem.  There  is  no 
definite  time  when  this  first  break  occurs,  as  it  is  gov- 
erned by  the  conditions  of  the  plant's  growth,  and  also 
varies  with  Afferent  varieties,  some  attaining  twice  the 
hight  of  others  before  the  break  manifests  itself.  The 
break,  however,  does,  to  some  extent,  determine  the  time 
when  the  next  bud  will  form.  At  some  time  during 
July  and  August  all  the  plants  will  make  a  "second 
break,"  or,  in  other  wrords,  will  form  buds  and  thereby 
cause  another  temporary  cessation  of  growth  with  the 
incidental  conditions  as  before  described.  The  buds 
formed  then  are  what  growers  call  "crown  buds"  and 
from  them  they  obtain  the  largest  and  best  exhibition 
blooms,  but  only  by  a  properly  timed  selection  of  them. 
If  they  appear  at  a  too  early  date  it  is  futile  to  "take" 
them,  and  the  same  course  must  be  pursued  as  before 
of  allowing  the  shoots  to  develop,  then  select  the  best 
one,  and  remove  the  remainder. 

This  shoot  will  grow  on  and  produce  a  bud  that 
can  be  taken  with  assurance  of  its  subsequent  develop- 
ment. These  buds  are  known  to  growers  as  "second 
crown  buds."  Fig.  7  shows  a  plant  that  made  an 
"early  break,"  also  a  "second  break,"  at  a  date  too  early 
for  the  bud  to  be  taken,  and  is  well  advanced  toward 
the  stage  of  producing  a  third  "break"  writh  its  accom- 
panying "second  crown"  bud.  This  illustration  closely 
examined  will  materially  assist  in  making  clear  the 
foregoing  remarks.  The  knot  or  irregularity  in  the 
stem  near  its  base  shows  where  a  bud  formed  in  June 
when  the  plant  was  about  eighteen  inches  high.  An- 


30 


THE    CHRYSANTHEMUM 


Fig.  7 — PORTION  OF  PLANT  SHOWING  FIRST  BREAK,  ALSO 
WHERE   FIRST    CROWN    BUD   APPEARED 

other  eighteen  inches  of  growth  is  made  and  again  a 
bud  appears,  a  first  crown  bud,  but  its  appearance  is 


CKOWX    AND    TEUMINAL    BUDS 


31 


too  early,  so  it  is  not  "taken,"  but  the  best  placed  shoot 
is  continuing  the  growth  and  will  •produce  a  second 
crown  bud  early  in  September.  Several  leaves  were 


Fig.  8 — A  CROWN  BUD  READY  TO  "TAKE" 

removed  from  the  plant  photographed,  at  the  points 
where  the  buds  appear,  to  more  plainly  indicate  the 
purpose  of  the  illustration.  A  careful  study  of  it  and 
a  comparison  with  growing  plants  in  the  same  stage 


THE    CHRYSANTHEMUM 


Fig.    9 — TERMINAL   BUDS 

should    enable    the    amateur    to    grasp    the    principle 
underlying  the  selection  of  buds. 


CROWN   AND   TERMINAL   BUDS 


33 


Fig.    10 — A   SECOND    CROWN    BUD,    AND    TERMINAL    BUDS 

ALLOWED  TO  DEVELOP  UPON   THE  SAME   PLANT 

TO  ILLUSTRATE  THE  DIFFERENCE 

Fig.  8  shows  the  upper  portion  of  the  plant  that 
has  advanced  to  the  stage  where  the  bud  should 
immediately  be  taken,  if  in  right  time.  In  actual 


34  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

practice  the  bud  would  have  been  taken  and  the  two 
shoots  below  it  pinched  out  before  they  had  made  so 
much  growth,  but  this  particular  plant  was  permitted 
to  grow  to  an  advanced  stage  to  better  illustrate  all 
that  pertains  to  the  crown  bud.  All  crown  buds  look 
alike  and  are  alike  in  this  respect,  they  are  single  buds 
surrounded  with  bracts  or  partially  developed  leaves. 
Just  below  the  bud  illustrated  two  shoots  appear, 
which,  as  before  explained,  would  be  pinched  out  if 
the  bud  were  to  be  taken.  Should  the  grower  fail  to 
take  this  bud  or  should  it  show  deformity  or  have  been 
injured  in  any  way  by  insects,  it  can  be  removed  and 
another  shoot  selected  to  continue  the  growth  of  the 
plant.  As  a  general  rule,  the  second  shoot  below  the 
bud  is  the  stronger  and  better  placed,  as  is  seen  in  the 
illustration,  the  shoot  on  the  left  side  of  the  crown 
bud  being  obviously  the  better  of  the  two  to  retain 
for"  continued  growth. 

The  bud  formed  by  this  shoot  is  called  the 
"terminal  bud/'  and  is  all  that  the  name  implies,  be- 
cause it  is  the  culmination  of  the  plant's  effort  for  the 
year,  the  final  bud  produced.  Here,  instead  of  one 
bud,  with  embryo  shoots  at  its  base,  there  is  a  cluster 
of  buds,  one  central  and  a  little  larger  than  the  rest, 
with  several  others  immediately  surrounding  or  just 
below  it.  If  large  flowers  be  desired  it  now  becomes 
necessary  to  take  the  terminal  bud,  by  rubbing  out  all 
except  the  central  one  as  soon  as  it  can  be  safely  done 
without  injury  to  the  bud  that  is  to  remain,  or  if 
there  be  evidence  of  injury  to  the  leading  bud,  then  it 
should  be  removed  and  the  best  one  of  those  surround- 
ing it  retained.  These  points  are  plainly  illustrated 
in  Figs.  9  and  10,  and  the  grower  cannot  go  astray  on 
buds  if  he  keep  these  facts  in  mind.  A  crown  bud, 
no  matter  at  what  date  it  appears,  is  a  single  bud  with 


CROWN  AXD  TERMINAL  BUDS  35 

sundry  growths  below.  A  terminal  bud  represents  the 
completion  of  the  year's  growth  and  is  easily  distin- 
guished by  its  cluster  of  contiguous  smaller  buds. 

WHEN   TO    TAKE   THE    BUDS 

A  properly  timed  selection  of  the  buds  is  of  the 
first  importance,  as  this  has  a  direct  bearing  upon  the 
quality  of  the  flower  produced.  A  crown  bud  taken 
in  July  would  develop  to  a  certain  stage  but  ultimately 
only  a  few  of  the  outer  petals  would  expand,  as  seen 
in  Fig.  11.  Buds  taken  at  a  little  later  date  may 
expand  all  right,  but  the  flowers,  while  not  deficient 
in  size,  may  be  coarse  and  flat;  if  taken  too  late  the 
resulting  flowers  are  neat  but  small,  and,  in  the  case 
of  some  exhibition  varieties,  late  or  terminal  buds  will 
often  throw  single  flowers,  or  flowers  having  a  large 
open  center.  The  successful  exhibitor  takes  the  crown 
bud  in  every  case  when  he  can  possibly  secure  it,  be- 
cause from  this  bud,  if  properly  timed  and  rightly 
treated,  the  largest  flower  is  obtained,  which  in 
character  and  finish  is  the  equal  of  those  from 
terminal  buds,  while  far  surpassing  them  in  size,  sub- 
stance and  solidity,  by  reason  of  the  greatly  increased 
number  of  petals  that  enter  into  its  formation. 
Crown  buds  in  different  stages  of  development  are  seen 
in  Fig.  12. 

The  time  to  "take"  the  buds  may  vary  slightly 
with  particular  varieties,  but  treating  the  matter  in 
a  general  way,  it  is  perfectly  safe  to  take  any  bud  that 
appears  on  or  before  August  20,  in  Xew  Jersey  or  any 
other  nearby  States.  This  applies  to  the  general  col- 
lection; a  few  early  flowering  kinds  may  have  their 
buds  taken  proportionately  earlier;  but  the  main  crop 
of  buds  should,  if  possible,  be  taken  from  the  date  given 
and  onward  as  they  appear  through  the  first  ten  days 


36 


THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 


of  September.     A  difference  of  a  few  days  makes  a 
marked   difference  in   certain  varieties,   so   every   one 


Fig.   11 — A   CROWN  BUD  TAKEX  TOO  EARLY 

must  be  observed,  and,  for  future  guidance,  it  is  wise 
to  keep  notes  of  these  dates.  When  growing  a  new 
variety  for  the  first  time,  if  buds  be  taken  at  intervals. 


Fig.    1.2 — CROWN   BUDS   IN  DIFFERENT   STAGES   OF 
DEVELOPMENT 


38  THE    CHRYSANTHEMUM 

of  a  few  days  and  a  record  be  kept,  the  approximate 
time  can  thus  be  learned. 

Buds  may  appear  a  week  or  a  few  days  in  advance 
of  the  desired  date,  and  if  not  taken,  would 
throw  the  next  bud  altogether  too  late.  In  such  a  case 
a  little  careful  manipulation  will  enable  the  grower 
to  hold  the  bud  almost  stationary  till  the  desired 
period.  Instead  of  removing  all  the  shoots  and  im- 
mediately throwing  all  the  plant's  energy  into  the  bud, 
as  ordinarily  occurs,  let  the  shoots  grow  an  inch  or 
more  and  remove  one  or  two  each  day  till  the  best 
date  has  arrived  for  their  entire  removal.  Buds  that 
appear  early  can  often  be  saved  in  this  way  by  using 
a  shoot  for  a  short  time  as  a  safety  valve  to  check 
undue  forcing  of  the  bud. 

European  growers  have  another  method  of  what 
they  call  "timing"  the  bud,  that  has  not  been  prac- 
ticed in  this  country.  It  consists  of  stopping  the 
growth  of  the  plants  by.  pinching  out  the  growing  tip. 
The  object  sought  is  to  anticipate,  as  it  were,  the  first 
break.  The  plant  stopped  does  not  then  develop  the 
break  bud,  but  grows  away  again  and  goes  on  to  the 
crown  bud  stage.  They  find  merit  in  the  practice,  as 
it  enables  them  to  advance  the  date  of  the  crown  bud 
appearing,  thus  securing  buds  of  late  flowering  varie- 
ties earlier  than  would  occur  in  the  natural  course  of 
growth.  The  need  of  a  large  number  of  varieties  at 
exhibition  time  probably  gave  rise  to  this  practice.  Byp 
it  certain  varieties  are  shown  in  perfection  two  or  three 
weeks  earlier  than  they  would  develop  normally,  and 
others,  naturally  early  but  stopped  and  grown  on  to 
a  second  crown,  are  in  a  measure  retarded. 

Cultural  conditions  are  so  different  in  this  coun- 
try and  our  plants  for  exhibition  blooms  are  grown  in 
a  period  shorter  by  several  months  that  the  need  of 


CROWN  AND   TERMINAL   BUDS 


39 


Fig.     13 — FIRST    AND    SECOND    CROWN    BUDS,     SHOWING 
RELATIVE  DIFFERENCE  IN  RIGHTS   OF  PLANTS 

the  general  stopping  is  not  apparent,  but  there  may 
be  a  few  individual   varieties  to  which   the   practice 


40  THE    CHRYSANTHEMUM 

might  be  advantageously  applied.  Judging  from  the 
dates  for  stopping  given  in  the  English  lists  a  great 
number  of  plants  are  stopped  there  at  a  time  when 
ours  are  but  cuttings  in  the  propagating  bed. 

SOME    OBJECTIONS    TO    CROWN    BUDS 

There  are  growers  who  object  to  the  crown  bud, 
who  confess  their  inability  to  handle  it,  or  in  other 
words  to  produce  good  flowers  if  this  bud  be  taken. 
Yet  they  have  no  substantial  ground  for  objection  and 
it  is  certain  that  he  who  would  be  among  the  fortunate 
to  attain  awards  at  exhibitions  must  become  proficient 
in  the  management  of  crown  buds,  whose  flowers  alto- 
gether outclass  those  from  terminal  buds.  The  reason 
for  this  is  obvious.  A  crown  bud  properly  timed  is 
attaining  size  and  developing  petals,  but  if  the  grower 
neglect  to  take  this  bud,  the  plant  has  to  grow  again 
for  three  or  four  weeks  before  it  throws  the  terminal 
bud.  There  will  be  little  or  no  difference  in  the  date 
of  the  flower  expanding  from  the  two  buds,  but  there 
must  naturally  be  a  difference  in  the  size  attained. 
A  month  or  more  may  elapse  between  the  taking  of 
two  buds  of  the  same  variety,  but  this  does  not  indicate 
that  one  flower  will  expand  a  month  in  advance  of  the 
other.  The  early  bud  is  "marking  time"  to  some  sub- 
stantial purpose. 

One  more  or  less  apparent  objection  to  the 
crown  bud  is  the  long  neck  that  results  through  a 
continued  growth  of  stem,  almost  or  entirely  devoid 
of  foliage.  The  remedy  for  this  is  largely  under  the 
grower's  control.  There  are  a  few  exceptional  varie- 
ties that  will  always  have  a  long  neck  if  the  crown 
bud  be  taken,  but  collectively  this  objection  cannot 
apply.  If  the  plants  have  been  grown  as  advised,  and 
have  strong,  well  ripened  wood,  the  additional  growth 


CROWX   AND   TERMINAL   BUDS  41 

that  follows  after  the  bud  has  been  taken  will  only 
be  sufficient  to  give  the  developed  flower  the  proper 
poise  above  the  column  of  heavy  foliage.  A  few  inches 
of  stem  between  leaf  and  flower  shows  the  flower  to 
better  advantage  than  when  it  appears  sitting  right 
on  the  leaves.  Others  assert  that  the  crown  bud,  with 
them,  fails  to  open  properly.  This  may  be  a  result 
of  error  in  ^fter  treatment,  often  of  temperature,  and 
is  explained  in  another  chapter.  Certain  varieties 
show  marked  variations  in  color  according  to  the  buds 
taken,  and  in  some  of  these  the  crown  bud  must  be 
avoided;  these  are  exceptions  to  the  general  rule  only. 
Some  of  the  pink  and  red  varieties  come  into  this 
category,  as,  for  example,  Yiviand  Morel,  worthless 
on  an  early  bud,  and  H.  J.  Jones,  which  is  greatly 
enhanced  in  color  beauty  upon  late  buds,  but  at  the 
expense  -  of  size.  Experience  alone  can  teach  the 
grower,  but  if  he  want  the  finest  Chrysanthemums 
nothing  will  compensate  him  for,  and  no  after  skill 
enable  him  to  overcome,  any  neglect  to  secure  crown 
buds  throughout  the  general  collection  of  varieties. 
The  relative  difference  in  hights  of  plants  with  first 
and  second  crown  buds  is  seen  in  Fig.  13. 


CHAPTER    VII 

Feeding — Its  Object  and  Application 

The  Chrysanthemum  is  a  gross  feeder  and  the 
successful  grower  is  the  man  who,  conscious  of  this 
fact,  and  observant  of  the  plant's  needs,  furnishes  it 
with  rich  food  up  to  the  limit  of  safety.  The  average 
grower  looks  at  the  results  attained  and  imagines  there 
is  some  dark  secret  process,  the  knowledge  of  which  has 
been  denied  him.  One  of  these  latter  remarked,  upon 
seeing  an  extra  fine  batch  of  a  variety  he,  too,  was 
growing:  "You  have  a  giganteum  strain  of  Mrs. 
Henry  Robinson.  Where  can  I  procure  some  of  your 
stock?"  While  methods  pursued  may  differ,  it  does 
not  follow  that  each  grower  has  his  own  carefully 
guarded  secret.  Soils  differ  materially  and  guide  the 
grower  in  adding  thereto  supplemental  food  stores  for 
the  plant  to  take  up  into  its  system  to  amplify  its 
strength  and  future  beauty.  In  all  stages  of  growth 
the  plants  must  be  under  observation,  as  they  invari- 
ably indicate  their  own  needs.  As  the  drooping  plant 
asks  for  water,  and  the  unhealthy  one,  by  its  yellow 
color,  indicates  a  superfluity  of  the  same,  so  can  the 
grower  be  guided  in  the  need  for  and  the  application 
of  food. 

The  first  essential  is  a  healthy  plant,  one  that  is 
receptive  and  can  therefore  digest,  as  it  were,  the 
additional  food  supplied.  If  the  advice  given  in 
previous  chapters  has  been  closely  followed,  it  will  be 
found,  about  the  middle  of  July,  that  the  plants,  now 
having  been  grown  two  months  in  the  benches,  will 


FEEDING  43 

have  more  or  less  exhausted  the  limited  larder  in 
which  it  was  best  to  start  them.  By  observing  them 
closely  at  this  period,  it  will  be  noticed  while  color  is 
uniform  and  denotes  a  healthy  condition,  there  is  a 
slight  diminution  of  vigor  manifested  in  smaller  leaves, 
or  the  stem  is  not  acquiring  the  desired  body  or  thick- 
ness. Here  is  evidence  of  something  needed,  which 
pure  water  %nd  a  good  growing  atmosphere  combined 
do  not  entirely  supply. 

From  this  stage  onward  nourishing  foods  must  be 
furnished  in  quantities  and  of  materials  most  suitable. 
The  start  should  be  made  gradually,  as  a  surfeit  of 
riches  immediately  applied  will  bring  about  disaster. 
A  surface  mulching  of  the  benches  with  about  one  inch 
of  some  not  too  fresh  natural  manure  is  the  best  way  to 
begin  feeding.  Preference  should  be  given  to  cow 
manure/  if  obtainable,  but  not  that  fresh  from  the 
cow  barn.  It  is  better  to  take  some  that  has  lain  in 
a  heap  for  a  few  weeks  and  is  well  decomposed,  or  if 
a  cow  pasture  be  near  at  hand  to  go  into  the  field  and 
gather  up  the  remains  that  have  become  more  or  less 
sun-dried  and  will  make  an  excellent  top  dressing 
material.  Failing  this,  half-rotted  horse  manure,  such 
as  comes  from  an  old  hotbed  or  a  mushroom  bed, 
may  be  used,  or  sheep  manure,  which  can  always  be 
purchased  from  dealers;  but  if  sheep  manure  be  used, 
let  it  be  in  less  quantity,  as,  though  dry,  it  is  rich  in 
concentrated  food  and  it  is  easy  to  err  by  applying  it 
in  excess.  The  soil  should  be  barely  covered  in  this 
case.  Such  a  top  dressing  or  mulching  will  soon  show 
results  in  renewal  of  vigor.  Each  watering  will  carry 
down  to  the  roots  some  portion  of  the  fertilizing 
elements,  and,  in  addition,  the  roots  will  soon  be 
observed  to  come  to  the  surface,  and,  ultimately  per- 
meating the  mulch,  to  absorb  its  riches. 


44 


THE   CHRYSANTHEMUM 


The  only  disadvantage  that  can  be  stated  against 
this  top  dressing  is  that  it  covers  up  the  surface  of 


Fig.    14 — FEEDING   VERSUS   ORDINARY    CULTURE — SHOW- 
ING DIFFERENCE  IN  VIGOR  OF  TWO   PLANTS   OF 
THE   SAME   VARIETY 

the  soil  and  helps  to  conserve  moisture  by  checking 
surface  evaporation,  but  it  may  mislead  the  grower 
as  to  the  actual  state  of  moisture  in  the  soil.  To  avoid 
going  astray  one  must  see  to  it  that  the  top  dressing 


46  THE   CHRYSANTHEMUM 

is  put  on  loose  and  does  not  pack  together,  which,  in 
any  case,  is  essential  for  proper  aeration,  and  when 
maintained  in  this  condition,  careful  observation  will 
enable  the  grower  to  know  when  water  is  needed. 
This  top  dressing  should  carry  the  plants  along  nicely 
for  three  or  four  weeks  and  bring  them  to  the  season 
of  maximum  feeding,  when  supplies  must  be  liberal, 
varied  in  character  and  of  frequent  application.  Here 
again  the  plants  themselves  must  be  the  prompters, 
but,  generally  speaking,  toward  the  end  of  August 
additional  fertilizers  in  liquid  form  may  be  given,  or 
an  additional  top  dressing  of  some  concentrated 
manure,  and  persistent  feeding  must  be  kept  up 
throughout  the  month  of  September.  In  this  matter 
the  condition  of  the  plants  must  be  the  main  guide. 
Plants  overfed  may  look  pleasing  to  the  eye  in  their 
vigor  of  gross  growth,  but  this  may  be  growth  that  will 
fail  in  the  final  test  of  finishing  a  perfect  bloom. 
Vigor  must  be  accompanied  with  firmness,  a  harden- 
ing, or,  as  growers  usually  term  it,  a  ripening  of  the 
growth  as  shown  in  a  hard,  woody  stem  having  little 
pith  or  core  in  the  center.  Given  this  condition,  and 
feeding  may  be  of  the  most  liberal  character,  but 
until  this  condition  is  attained  it  is  better  to  go  light 
with  feeding. 

Another  axiom  to  guide  the  beginner  in  this 
matter  is  when  all  is  well  with  the  plants  to  wait 
until  the  buds  are  taken,  which  will  be  during 
the  last  part  of  August  and  the  first  few  days  of 
September,  then  when  the  buds  are  seen  to  be  swelling 
nicely  to  assist  them  in  every  possible  way,  freely  and 
continuously,  till  the  buds  begin  to  open  and  show 
color;  then  to  discontinue.  The  effect  of  proper  feed- 
ing upon  the  vigor  of  plants  and  the  size  of  flowers 
is  seen  in  Figs.  14  ancL15. 


FEEDING  47 

CHOICE    OF    MANURES 

"Whatever  is  applied  from  now  on,  as  a  fertilizer, 
must  be  something  the  feeding  elements  of  which  are 
immediately  available  for  the  plant's  use,  therefore 
watering  with  manure  water,  made  from  one  of  the 
several  natural  animal  manures,  should  be  the  basis 
and  the  bulk  of  the  feeding.  A  change  of  diet,  how- 
ever, is  marledly  beneficial,  therefore  no  fixed  formula 
can  be  laid  down,  nor  any  set  rule  be  adhered  to, 
except  the  one  of  the  desirability  of  changing  occa- 
sionally to  the  use  of  some  chemical  fertilizer,  also 
applied  in  solution;  or  to  a  light  top  dressing  of  one 
of  the  prepared,  highly  concentrated  plant*  foods. 
Among  the  animal  manures  that  from  sheep  or  cows 
is  most  generally  used,  but  horse  manure  need  not  be 
despised.  Their  relative  strengths  and  feeding  values 
are  in  the  order  named,  with  sheep  manure  as  first 
choice. 

Methods  of  preparation  depend  upon  facilities  or 
convenience,  but  barrels  are  most  commonly  used,  the 
manure  being  placed  in  a  coarse  bag  and  allowed  to 
steep  in  the  water  two  or  three  days.  The  resultant 
liquid  is,  of  course,  too  strong  to  apply  .until  it  has 
been  properly  diluted,  and  the  volume  of  pure  water 
to  be  added  must  be  left  somewhat  to  individual  judg- 
ment, and  is  also  in  part  governed  by  whether  feeding 
is  to  be  light  or  heavy.  At  the  start  light  feeding 
should  be  the  rule  and  the  strength  of  the  liquid 
enhanced  as  conditions  warrant.  Those  who  have  had 
little  experience  in  these  matters  will  not  go  far 
astray  if  they  follow  the  old  rule  that  advises  making 
the  liquid  look  like  weak  coffee,  this  being  the 
minimum  standard  of  strength,  to  be  increased  as 
desirable  by  less  dilution.  Those  who  have  a  large 
number  of  plants  may  greatly  simplify  the  application 


48  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

of  liquid  fertilizers  by  the  use  of  a  simple  little 
mechanism  known  as  the  "Kinney  pump,"  and  which, 
at  the  same  time,  insures  uniform  dilution  and  perfect 
mixing.  It  is  a  brass  hose  connection,  one  end  being 
attached  to  the  water  tap,  while  at  a  right  angle 
thereto  is  attached  a  small  piece  of  hose  that  is  put 
into  the  barrel  of  manure  water.  At  the  other  end  is 
connected  the  hose  used  in  watering  the  plants.  The 
water  in  passing  through  takes  up  a  portion  of  the 
liquid  fertilizer,  the  amount  of  which  can  be  reg- 
ulated. It  works  admirably  and  is  a  great  labor- 
saving  device.  In  some  places  it  is  possible  to  obtain 
the  drainings  from  the  farm  barns  or  horse  stables, 
and  this  can  be  utilized  in  the  same  way  as  the 
specially  prepared  liquid,  only  taking  due  care  to 
sufficiently  dilute  it. 

Manure  from  the  hen  roost  or  the  pigeon  loft  is 
often  procurable  and  has  strong  fertilizing  elements, 
but  the  inexperienced  should  leave  it  alone  or  they 
may  work  untold  injury  in  attempting  its  use.  If 
used,  a  safe  way  would  be  as  a  top  dressing,  mixing 
it  with  at  least  six  times  its  bulk  of  soil  before  apply- 
ing it  to  the  plants.  It  can  be  used  in  solution,  but  the 
liquid  should  be  made  very  weak. 

CHEMICAL    FERTILIZERS 

These  are  used  to  alternate  or  vary  the  feeding, 
and,  properly  applied,  are  often  of  substantial  benefit. 
They  should  be  regarded,  however,  as  a  supplemental 
aid  rather  than  as  complete  fertilizers,  but  they  are 
very  efficient  along  certain  lines  when  used  with  a 
proper  understanding  of  the  purpose  for  use  and  the 
effect  upon  the  plants.  The  nature  of  the  soil,  too,  in 
which  the  plants  are  growing,  is  an  important  factor 
in  determining  what  can  be  used  to  best  advantage 


FEEDING  49 

V 

and  with  safety.  Growers  have  observed  the  benefits 
to  be  derived  from  them  when  used  with  discretion, 
their  potency  being  in  proportion  to  the  needs  of 
the  plants  for  the  special  elements  they  supply.  Of 
these,  two  of  the  most  material  are  nitrogen  and 
potash. 

If  the  grower  be  dealing  with  soil  of  a  light, 
sandy  nature  it  will  probably  stand  substantial  addi- 
tions of  l$>th  nitrogen  and  potash  when  the  plants 
have  advanced  to  the  stage  of  bud  formation.  On  the 
other  hand,  if  the  soil  be  somewhat  tenacious  or  of 
clayey  character,  potash  is  still  likely  to  be  present 
in  sufficient  quantity  for  the  plant's  needs,  and  to  add 
more  would  be  an  error,  but  an  addition  of  a  nitroge- 
nous substance  might  prove  most  beneficial.  Sulphate 
of  ammonia  is  a  good  source  of  supply  when  the  need  of 
the  plants  is  for  additional  nitrogen,  as  the  ordinary 
commercial  product  generally  contains  twenty  per  cent 
of  nitrogen,  and,  being  readily  soluble  in  water,  it  can 
be  both  effectively  and  economically  supplied,  but 
always  in  solution  to  avoid  waste,  risk  of  injury,  and 
to  give  immediate  benefit.  One  pound  of  sulphate  of 
ammonia  dissolved  in  a  fifty-gallon  barrel  of  -water  is 
perfectly  safe  in  the  hands  of  anyone,  assuming,  of 
course,  that  the  condition  of  the  plants  justifies  the 
application.  Xitrate  of  soda  is  also  used  by  reason  of 
its  large  content  of  nitrogen  in  the  most  available  form 
for  the  immediate  use  of  the  plant.  It  may  be  ap- 
plied in  like  manner  and  in  similar  quantity.  It  has 
also  a  beneficial  effect  in  other  ways  and  its  applica- 
tion sometimes  shows  speedy  results.  For  example, 
the  growth  may  be  health}',  yet  the  leaves  may  lack 
tone  of  color,  being  of  a  light  green,  or  lacking  sub- 
stance. When  such  a  condition  is  manifest  an  ap- 
plication of  nitrate  of  soda  will  generally  be  correct 


50  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

and  the  result  is  shown  in  thickened  leaves  of  a 
darker  hue. 

Nitrate  of  potash  is  in  favor  with  some  growers, 
who  prefer  it  to  the  soda.  Its  cost  is  double  that  of 
the  soda,  while  its  action  and  effect  are  practically  the 
same.  Lime  and  iron  are  essential  elements  in  soil 
fertility.  Some  soils  contain  them  in  abundance, 
while  in  others  they  are  markedly  deficient,  and  in  such 
the  deficiency  can  be  advantageously  rectified.  Lime 
acts  in  a  dual  capacity.  In  the  soil  it  enters  into 
formation  of  chemical  compounds  and  tends  to  make 
soluble  and  available  for  use  fertilizing  elements  that 
would,  in  the  absence  of  lime,  remain  insoluble.  Also 
when  taken  up  in  solution  it  enters  into  and  materially 
strengthens  the  tissues  of  the  plant,  giving  more 
rigidity  to  the  stem.  A  weakness  of  stem  in  certain 
varieties  often  denotes  deficiency  of  lime  and  the  evil 
can  be  corrected  by  applying  it.  This  is  best  done  by 
sprinkling  air-slacked  lime  over  the  surface  soil  two 
or  three  times  during  the  growing  season  previous  to 
watering.  Additional  iron,  if  needed,  can  be  readily 
applied  by  sulphate  of  iron,  which  is  soluble  in  water, 
and. a  quarter  of  a  pound  will  suffice  for  fifty  gallons 
of  water.  It  may  be  added  to  the  solutions  of  sulphate 
of  ammonia  or  nitrate  of  soda  and  used  in  conjunction 
with  them. 

When  these  chemical  fertilizers  are  needed  they 
should  be  used  in  alternation  with  liquid  animal 
manures,  and  similarly  with  each  other.  They  should 
also  be  applied  when  the  soil  about  the  plants  is  in 
moderately  moist  condition,  a  rule,  in  fact,  applicable 
to  all  fertilizers,  never  to  water  with  them  when  the 
soil  is  so  dry  that  the  plants  are  in  immediate  need 
of  water,  or  serious  disaster  may  be  the  result.  A 
word  of  caution  in  regard  to  these  fertilizers  is  to 


FEEDING  51 

discontinue  them,  especially  the  nitrate  of  soda,  when 
the  bud  is  about  the  size  of  a  marble,  or  the  flowers 
will  lack  substance  and  keeping  qualities,  will  damp 
easily,  and  shed  their  petals  when  handled.  Once  a 
week  for  either  of  these  potent  agents  should  be  the 
limit,  and  the  quantity  stated  should  never  be  ex- 
ceeded. The  solution  is  a  colorless  liquid,  and,  if  of 
double  str|pgth,  would  appear  the  same;  therefore,  one 
must  be  sure  of  weight  and  measure,  and  adhere  to 
them,  except  they  may  be  proportionately  diminished 
should  a  weaker  application  be  desirable. 

As  a  top  dressing,  concentrated  manures  may  also 
be  used,  should  conditions  show  the  need;  and  the 
need  that  would  suggest  such  feeding  would  be  that 
of  additional  phosphoric  acid,  since  the  other  essential 
elements  of  healthy  growth  can  be  more  thoroughly 
and  more  speedily  supplied  in  the  manner  indicated, 
with  sulphates  and  nitrates.  To  be  of  any  benefit, 
especially  in  an  advanced  stage  of  the  plant's  growth, 
phosphoric  acid  should  be  applied  in  some  phosphate 
of  quick  solubility.  Bone  in  various  forms  is  the 
staple  source  of  phosphatic  food,  but  this  is  only  avail- 
able as  the  bone  decays,  and  this,  naturally,  is  a  slow 
process.  It  follows  then,  that  any  application  of  fer- 
ilizers  of  which  bone  is  a  large  constituent  should 
'ave  the  bone  reduced  to  the  finest  particles,  so  as  to 
ciuse  rapid  decay  and  the  ready  solution  of  its 
elements  in  contact  with  the  moist  soil.  Failing  this, 
not  only  would  there  be  waste,  but  an  undesirable  con- 
dition in  the  presence  of  considerable  proportions  of 
rich  food  as  a  residue  in  the  soil,  not  needed  by  the 
plants  as  the  flowers  attained  maturity.  Some  of  the 
mineral  superphosphates  may  be  used  in  like  manner 
by  observing  the  same  conditions. 

There  are  also  prepared  plant  foods  of  a  rich  and 


52  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

highly  concentrated  character  on  the  market  and  used 
by  some  to  vary  the  feeding,  which  can  be  done  in 
perfect  safety  by  the  expert  grower  who  understands 
these  rich  foods  and  their  effects,  but  the  amateur 
should  proceed  cautiously  with  them.  Overfeeding 
is,  of  course,  possible.  It  has  been  overdone  when  the 
growth  becomes  short  jointed  and  the  leaves  crowd 
upon  one  another  with  little  or  no  intervening  space. 
The  remedy  in  that  case  suggests  itself.  A  safer  in- 
dication is  furnished  by  the  plants  themselves  before 
they  reach  such  an  undesirable  condition.  If  they  be 
in  the  best  of  health,  with  luxuriant  foliage,  and  the 
leaves  be  brittle,  breaking  quite  easily  when  lightly 
handled,  then  the  feeding  should  be  diminished,  as 
they  are  fed  "to  the  limit."  While  continuous  feeding 
has  been  advised,  it  is  well  now  and  then  to  let  the 
plants  have  a  drink  of  pure  water,  for  this  helps  to 
clarify  and  sweeten  the  soil. 

Last  but  not  least,  the  varieties  must  be  studied 
in  regard  to  their  needs.  Some  will  take  double  the 
quantity  of  feeding,  and  with  others  it  may  be  neces- 
sary to  cease  feeding  at  an  early  stage  of  bud  develop- 
ment, those  having  pink  flowers  being  the  most 
affected  by  a  too  prolonged  rich  diet.  A  general 
rule  for  all  is  to  cease  feeding  as  the  petals  of  the 
flowers  show  color  and  commence  to  unfold.  The 
object  of  feeding  should  be  clearly  apparent  from 
what  has  been  said  in  this  chapter.  Natural  or 
animal  manures  are  given  first  choice  because  they 
contain,  in  varying  quantities,  all  the  main  essential 
elements  of  plant  substance,  namely,  nitrogen,  potash 
and  phosphoric  acid,  therefore  they  constitute  com- 
plete plant  foods.  An  inability  to  obtain  these,  how- 
ever, need  not  debar  one  from  growing  fine  flowers, 
as  with  an  ordinary  soil,  and  a  careful  system  of  feed- 


FEEDING  53 

ing  with  the  chemical  and  concentrated  manures  here 
recommended  for  supplemental  use  only,  good  results 
may  be  obtained.  Such  a  system  of  feeding,  however, 
to  be  entirely  successful,  involves  the  possession  of  a 
fair  knowledge  of  chemistry,  and  of  the  governing 
principles  of  plant  growth. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

Care  of  the  Buds 

When  feeding  ceases  and  the  fast  swelling  bud 
ultimately  begins  to  unfold,  showing  color  in  the  outer 
petals,  the  goal  of  an  entire  season's  effort  is  in.  sight, 
but  there  must  not  yet  be  any  relaxation  of  attention. 
Even  at  this  stage  the  brightest  prospects  may  be  sadly 
marred  unless  vigilance  be  sustained  to  the  end  in 
attending  to  and  doing  the  little  things  upon  which 
success  depends.  Above  all,  the  plants  must  be  kept 
clean.  Whatever  may  have  attacked  the  foliage  during 
the  growing  season,  scrupulous  guard  must  be  kept  over 
the  buds.  They  should  be  forbidden  ground  for  insect 
depredations.  Caterpillars,  grasshoppers,  green  fly,  black 
fly,  red  spider  and  thrips  are  a  mighty  host,  the  buds 
their  legitimate  prey,  therefore  the  utmost  vigilance 
must  be  observed.  Means  and  methods  of  fighting  the 
pests  will  be  found  in  the  special  chapter  devoted 
thereto.  Water  in  abundance  has  been  the  rule  over- 
head and  at  the  roots,  but  a  time  is  come  when  greatly 
reduced  supplies  will  suffice. 

With  the  advent  of  cooler,  shorter  days,  the  plants 
will  not  dry  out  nearly  so  fast  at  the  root,  and  the 
aim  should  be  to  keep  them  only  moderately  moist 
during  the  finishing  of  the  flowers.  Spraying  the 
foliage  on  bright  days  is  maintained  as  long  as  pos- 
sible as  an  antidote  to  insect  pests,  but  now  is  the 
time  when  it  must  cease.  The  swelling  buds  are 
depressed  in  the  center  so  that  they  would  retain 
water  and  soon  rot  if  carelessly  sprayed  overhead.  The 


CAKE   OF   THE   BUDS  55 

floor  of  the  house  may,  however,  be  sprayed  if  the 
conditions  of  weather  make  it  necessary,  but  all  super- 
fluous moisture  should  be  dried  up  by  night,  when  a 
dry,  buoyant  atmosphere  must  be  maintained.  Tem- 
perature is  something  we  cannot  control  to  the  extent 
desirable  for  the  perfect  maturing  of  the  blooms;  but 
when  the  conditions  permit  of  control,  a  temperature  at 
night  of  |rom  forty-five  to  fifty  degrees  should  be  the 
aim,  as  crown  buds  require  a  few  degrees  more  heat  than 
is  necessary  for  Chrysanthemums  ordinarily  grown. 

Changeable  autumn  weather  and  warm,  humid 
nights,  which  often  prevail,  seriously  concern  the 
grower,  and  adverse  conditions  must,  as  far  as  possible, 
be  met  and  counteracted.  If  the  outside  temperature 
be  low,  matters  are  easy,  as  an  equable  inside  tempera- 
ture is  easily  maintained  by  fire  heat.  This  should  be 
accompanied  with  a  little  air  at  the  top  of  the  house, 
opening  the  ventilators  about  two  inches  to  allow  the 
escape  of  superfluous  moisture  which  otherwise  would 
condense  upon  the  cool  flowers  and  cause  "damping." 
When  the  outside  temperature  is  in  excess  of  that 
desired  there  must  be  free  ventilation,  and  on  foggy  or 
humid  nights,  it  may  often  be  wise  to  have  a  little 
fire  heat  to  expel  some  of  the  atmospheric  humidity, 
even  though  temperature  does  not  show  any  necessity 
for  it.  The  flowers  develop  surprisingly  fast  when 
ideal  conditions  prevail,  such  as  cool,  dry  days  and  pro- 
portionately cooler  nights.  Excessive  warmth  hastens 
expansion,  but  at  the  expense  of  substance  and  keeping 
qualities,  so  that  should  the  flowers,  by  any  mischance, 
appear  to  be  a  little  too  late  for  the  date  it  is  desired 
to  exhibit  them,  it  is  better  to  forego  the  intention 
than  to  try  to  force  them  with  additional  fire  heat, 
which  can  only  end  in  weakened  stems  and  soft  flowers. 

Damping    of    the     flowers    before     they     attain 


56  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

maturity  is  often  a  serious  trouble  to  the  grower  for 
exhibition.  The  term  is  misleading  to  the  uninitiated, 
who  would  naturally  suppose  it  has  its  origin  in  an 
excess  of  moisture,  whereas  excessive  heat  is  the  most 
potent  factor  in  the  trouble.  A  hot  day  in  October 
may  prove  particularly  disastrous  to  scores  of  promis- 
ing flowers.  This  evil  is  apparently  engendered  by 
the  conditions  under  which  the  blooms  have  been 
brought  to  great  size ;  is,  in  fact,  more  or  less  incidental 
to  high  feeding,  and  affects  some  varieties  to  marked 
degree,  while  others,  under  exactly  the  same  conditions 
and  treatment,  show  no  injury.  It  is  called  damping 
because  the  petals  become  spotted  and  the  spots  spread 
into  a  small  area  of  decomposition  or  rotting  of  the 
tissues.  As  it  only  affects  the  highly  fed  flowers,  it  is 
now  supposed  that  the  heat  acts  upon  the  moisture  in 
the  flower,  causing  some  chemical  changes  which  de- 
stroy the  tissues.  This  would  appear  to  be  a  true 
solution  of  the  difficulty,  as  flowers  thus  affected  in 
the  early  stages  of  development  have,  when  an  immedi- 
ate change  to  favorable  conditions  supervened,  finished 
expanding  without  further  injury  and  have  been  used 
for  exhibition  after  the  petals  injured  in  the  first 
opening  were  extracted.  A  check  may  be  placed  upon 
the  evil  by  slightly  shading  the  flowers  with  a  thin 
coat  of  lime  wash  upon  the  glass. 

Even  if  there  be  no  evidence  of  damping,  a  slight 
shade  is  beneficial  in  modifying  the  bright  sun  rays 
with  an  accompanying  reduction  of  temperature,  when 
unusual  warmth  and  bright  sunshine  prevail  late  in 
October  and  even  in  November.  A  batch  of  Golden 
Wedding  of  several  hundred  fine  flowers  was  entirely 
ruined  by  one  exceptionally  warm,  humid  day  as  late 
as  November  10.  Subsequent  practice  has  proved  that 
the  slight  shade  recommended  is  an  admirable  pre- 


CARE   OF   THE   BUDS  57 

ventive.  Occasionally  damping  may  take  a  more  pro- 
nounced form  and  the  entire  flower  rot  in  its  early 
stages,  from  the  center,  so  as  to  be  absolutely  worth- 
less. This  is  from  excessive  feeding,  and  especially 
denotes  too  much  of  chemical  fertilizers,  for  which  the 
remedy  suggests  itself  to  be  remembered  the  follow- 
ing year. 

Finally,  as  the  flowers  attain  maturity,  the  season's 
record  should  be  completed  with  a  few  timely  notes 
of  the  most  important  operations,  as  a  ready  reference 
for  the  future,  and  a  safeguard  against  mistakes 
through  lapse  of  memory,  especially  in  regard  to  the 
dates  when  the  buds  were  taken.  If  these  be  recorded 
and  they  prove  to  have  been  too  early  or  too  late,  the 
mistake  can  be  rectified  the  following  year. 

Exhibition  Chrysanthemums  are  entirely  a  prod- 
uct of  -individual  effort.  They  are  a  development  of 
latent  possibilities,  inherent  in  the  plant,  but  unat- 
tainable if  the  plant  be  left  to  its  own  natural  growth. 
The  grower's  success,  therefore,  along  this  special  line 
of  culture,  is  just  in  proportion  to  the  knowledge  he 
has  at  command  and  the  systematic  application  of  the 
same  toward  the  purpose  in  view. 


CHAPTER    IX 

Exhibiting  and  Judging 

There  are  more  floral  exhibitions  held  in  Chrysan- 
themum time  than  at  any  other  period  of  the  year, 
and  at  all  of  them  the  Chrysanthemum  is  the  leading 
feature.  Advocacy  of  the  flower's  adaptability  for  this 
purpose  is  needless,  while  the  number  and  popularity 
of  these  exhibitions  furnish  ample  justification  for  the 
continuance  of  those  means  and  methods  whereby  the 
flower  has  been  brought  into  such  prominence. 

It  is  undeniable  that  the  big  blooms  have  been 
the  leading  factor  in  arousing  and  sustaining  public 
interest,  hence  the  prominence  that  has  been  given  to 
this  phase  of  Chrysanthemum  culture  in  these  pages. 
Moreover,  it  is  safe  to  prophesy  that  the  future  will 
not  witness  any  marked  changes  in  this  respect,  as  one 
can  hardly  imagine  such  a  revulsion  of  public  feeling, 
or  sentiment,  sufficient  to  convince  the  general  public 
that  flowers  one-half  the  size  are  just  as  pretty  and 
more  artistic.  The  stamp  of  popular  approval  of  the 
big  bloom  was  set  in  Europe  before  Chrysanthemum 
exhibitions  were  thought  of  in  America,  so  "history 
repeats  itself,"  but  though  we  followed  where  others 
led,  we  have  substantially  progressed,  and  have  given 
to  our  exhibitions  an  American  character  in  a  more 
natural  and  an  infinitely  more  pleasing  method  of  dis- 
play, by  setting  up  the  flowers  in  large  vases  with  long 
stems  and  ample  foliage  to  enhance  the  beauty  of  the 
bloom.  In  consequence  of  this,  the  flowers  that  we 
display  at  exhibitions  demonstrate  the  fitness  and 


EXHIBITING  AND   JUDGING  59 

beauty  of  the  same  flowers  to  adorn  the  home,  in 
consonance  with  the  best  methods  of  floral  decoration. 
Proof  of  this  is  seen  each  season,  as  the  commercial 
product  that  most  approaches  exhibition  standard  of 
merit  brings  the  highest  returns,  financially,  to  the 
grower. 

The  holding  of  Chrysanthemum  exhibitions,  too, 
has  improved  the  general  culture  of  the  flower  at  the 
hands  of  those  who,  while  not  participating  in  the  com- 
petitions, have  witnessed  the  possibilities  of  good 
culture  when  attending  the  shows. 

PREPARING    AND    PACKING    EXHIBITION    FLOWERS 

As  the  time  of  the  exhibition  approaches,  close 
watch  must  be  kept  upon  the  flowers.  It  may  be  that 
some  .of  those  it  is  desired  to  exhibit  have  attained 
to  full  perfection  a  week  or  more  in  advance  of  the 
date,  and  to  leave  them  longer  on  the  plant  would  risk 
deterioration.  These  should  be  cut  at  once,  placed  in 
water  in  suitable  receptacles  and  stood  in  a  cool,  dry 
room  or  cellar  from  which  the  light  may  be  partially 
excluded.  However,  the  place  should  not  be  darkened 
entirely,  or  the  foliage  will  turn  yellow.  If  the  water  be 
changed  every  two  or  three  days  and  a  small  portion 
of  the  stem  cut  away,  flowers  may  be  kept  a  week  or 
ten  days  and  yet  be  fresh  and  fit  for  exhibition.  When 
the  flowers  are  not  cut  till  required  it  should  be  a  day 
in  advance,  so  that  they  may  be  stood  in  water  for  at 
least  twenty-four  hours  previous  to  packing  them.  The 
need  of  this  is  obvious,  as  the  plants  have  been  kept 
on  the  dry  side  during  the  maturing  of  the  blooms, 
but  flower,  foliage  and  stem  need  to  be  well  supplied 
with  moisture  preparatory  to  the  exhibition  ordeal  to 
ensure  their  retaining  freshness.  Any  neglect  in  this 
respect  may  result  in  a  speedy  collapse  after  the  flowers 


60  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

are    staged    in   the    dry    atmosphere    of    the    exhibi- 
tion hall. 

Occasionally  a  variety  will  occur  having  hard, 
woody  stems  that  are  slow  of  absorption  and  the  foliage 
shows  a  disposition  to  wilt.  This  can  be  remedied 
by  splitting  up  the  stem  at  the  base  for  three  or  four 
inches,  which  greatly  facilitates  the  absorption  of  water. 

PACKING     THE     BLOOMS 

Great  care  must  be  exercised  in  packing  the  blooms 
for  transportation  to  the  place  of  exhibition,  to  avoid 
bruising  or  other  injury.  Many  an  otherwise  good 
exhibit  has  failed  to  attain  the  deserved  award  solely 
by  reason  of  blemishes  that  might  have  been  prevented. 
After  a  year  of  endeavor  in  production  the  final  effort 
should  be  to  place  the  flowers  on  exhibition  clean  and 
spotless.  In  a  close  competition  the  first  award  may 
depend  entirely  upon  freshness  and  condition.  It  is 
poor  satisfaction  to  see  a  competitor  win  because  of 
errors  of  our  own  commission. 

Substantial  wooden  boxes  of  not  less  than  half-inch 
lumber  should  be  secured.  For  long  stemmed  flowers 
a  convenient  box  is  one  six  feet  long,  twenty  inches 
wide  inside,  and  with  a  clear  inside  depth  of  at  least 
ten  inches.  In  such  a  box  from  eighteen  to  twenty- 
four  flowers,  each  having  four  feet  of  stem,  can  be 
safely  packed.  The  box  should  be  lined  with  several 
thicknesses  of  paper,  that  nearest  to  the  flowers  being 
of  a  soft  character.  Commencing  at  the  end,  support 
must  be  provided  for  the  first  row  of  flowers.  .A  simple 
but  effective  method  is  to  make  a  roll,  or  pillow,  of 
excelsior  (about  four  inches  thick)  as  long  as  the  width 
of  the  box  and  wrapped  with  tissue  paper,  placing  it 
in  the  box  six  inches  from  the  end.  This  gives  neces- 
sary support  to  the  neck  of  the  flower  and  prevents  it 
from  crushing  itself  out  of  shape  as  would  happen  if 


EXHIBITING    AND   JUDGING  61 

laid  in  the  box  in  the  ordinary  manner  of  packing. 
Each  flower  should  have  a  sheet  of  tissue  paper  tied 
at  the  neck,  then  drawn  upward  and  tied  again,  so 
as  to  enclose  it  in  a  complete  bag  of  paper.  Flowers 
of  a  reflexed  type  with  drooping  petals  may  have  their 
]>etals  drawn  upward  slightly  without  injury,  as  a  slight 
shake  when  unpacking  will  put  them  right  again.  A 
box  of  tha  width  stated  will  take  three  or  four  flowers 
laid  side  by  side  upon  the  supporting  pillow.  Two 
similar  rows  may  be  laid  in  the  box  following  on  from 
the  first,  with  smaller  supporting  pillows,  or  it  may 
be  the  steins  and  foliage  of  the  first  row  furnish  suf- 
ficient support;  the  judgment  of  the  packer  must  de- 
termine this.  Starting  again  from  the  other  end  of 
the  box,  that  half  may  be  similarly  packed.  When 
completed,  a  cleat  or  strip  of  wood  wrapped  with  paper 
may  be  nailed  across  the  box  inside  to  hold  the  stems 
down  and  retain  them  in  position.  The  flowers  must 
be  packed  sufficiently  tight  to  keep  them  in  position 
without  unduly  pressing  one  another,  any  open  space 
being  filled  with  wads  of  tissue  paper.  Above  all 
things,  the  flowers  must  be  kept  absolutely  dry.  If 
the  distance  for  transportation  be  long,  it  will  be  de- 
sirable to  sprinkle  the  foliage  lightly,  or,  better  still, 
to  spread  a  moistened  newspaper  over  the  stems  in  the 
center  of  the  box;  then  cover  the  flowers  with  tissue 
paper  before  closing  the  box.  Take  due  care  that  in 
no  place  does  the  lid  of  the  box  come  in  contact  with 
the  flowers. 

Some  exhibitors,  in  place  of  using  the  pillow  for 
support,  nail  cleats  across  the  box  and  securely  tie  the 
stems  thereto.  It  takes  longer  to  pack  in  this  way,  but 
it  gives  added  security  and  the  method  is  worthy  of 
adoption  if  the  flowers  have  to  be  transported  a  great 
distance  and  are  left  entirelv  to  the  tender  mercies  of 


Fig.     16 — EXHIBITION    CHRYSANTHEMUMS    PROPERLY 
PACKED  FOR   SHIPMENT 


EXHIBITING   AND   JUDGING  63 

the  express  companies.  Flowers  to  be  shown  in  short 
stemmed  classes  may  be  safely  and  more  closely  packed 
by  tying  in  this  way.  Fig.  16  shows  a  box  of  flowers 
so  packed,  which,  after  transportation  for  a  thousand 
miles,  came  out  so  perfect  that  they  secured  ninety- 
five  out  of  a  possible  one  hundred  points.  Another  aid 
to  maintaining  freshness  is  to  enclose  the  ends  of  the 
stems  in  rubber  capped  glass  receptacles  containing 
water  an%  made  expressly  for  this  purpose.  The 
flowers  in  the  box  illustrated  in  Fig.  16  had  the  ends 
of  their  stems  wrapped  around  with  wet  moss  secured 
with  paper  tied  around. 

A  method  of  packing  occasionally  seen  at  the 
eastern  exhibitions  is  with  flowers  standing  erect  in 
rows,  each  row  tied  to  a  cleat  below  the  flowers  and  at 
the  base,  with  the  ends  of  the  stems  resting  in  a  tray 
at  the  bottom  of  the  box,  filled  with  wet  moss,  kept  in 
position  by  a  covering  of  small  meshed  wire  netting. 
This  is  a  cumbersome  method,  requiring  a  very  deep 
box  for  long  stemmed  flowers,  and  with  no  manifest 
advantages  over  the  usual  way  of  packing  as  here 
described. 

STAGING    THE    EXHIBITS 

The  conditions  of  competition  govern  the  staging. 
It  rests  with  the  exhibitor  entirely  to  comply  with  the 
conditions  as  stated,  and  adhere  to  them  to  the  letter. 
The  careful  exhibitor  who  is  going  to  stage  a  vase  of 
six,  twelve  or  fifty  flowers,  takes  along  a  few  additional 
flowers  to  provide  for  accidents.  The  careless  exhibitor 
often  stages  the  extra  flowers  brought  along,  and  in  the 
rush  and  excitement  of  preparation  forgets  to  remove 
them.  "Don't  forget"  is  the  only  way  to  avoid  the 
chagrin  of  seeing  the  word  "Disqualified"  attached  to 
the  entry  card  of  what  might  have  been  a  winning 
exhibit  but  for  failure  to  comply  with  the  condition 


64  THE     ClillYSANTHEMUM 

as  to  exact  number — a  condition  that  is  considered 
absolute  at  all  exhibitions. 

Individual  skill,  artistic  perception,  ability  to  dis- 
play to  the  best  advantage  the  component  parts  of  the 
exhibit,  are  all  factors  that  count  as  a  whole  in  effect 
created,  even  though  the  judges  analytically  scrutinize 
the  units.  While  the  flower  is  the  chief  thing,  stem 
and  foliage  are  very  essential  attributes,  therefore  the 
exhibitor  should  always  endeavor  to  make  them  play 
their  part  to  the  fullest  extent  when  setting  up  a 
vase  of  flowers.  A  superb  prize  winning  vase  of  one 
hundred  Timothy  Eaton  is  shown  in  Fig.  17. 

In  classes  that  call  for  a  collection  of  twelve, 
twenty-four  or  more  distinct  varieties,  one  bloom  of 
each,  it  is  customary,  and  in  fact,  most  desirable,  to  stage 
the  flowers  singly,  one  in  a  vase,  or  suitable  receptacle. 
These  are  shown  with  short  stems  of  from  twelve  to 
sixteen  inches  in  length.  If  the  stage  or  table  for  such 
classes  can  be  stepped,  as  seen  in  Fig.  18,  showing  a 
prize  winning  collection  of  twelve,  it  adds  greatly  to  the 
effectiveness,  of  the  display  and  also  permits  of  easier 
and  closer  inspection.  The  staging  of  a  collection  of 
blooms  in  variety  calls  for  careful  discrimination  in 
color  association,  alternating  dark  and  light  colors, 
when  possible.  Should  there  be  variation  in  size,  no 
matter  if  it  be  slight,  keep  the  small  flowers  for  the 
front  row.  In  arranging,  start  at  the  left  hand  corner 
of  the  back  row  and  complete  this  row  with  the  largest 
flowers,  following  on  in  the  same  order  down  to  the 
front  row.  If  rightly  arranged  the  difference  in  size 
is  scarcely  apparent  when  the  collection  is  viewed  as 
a  whole. 

It  would  add  greatly  to  the  attractiveness  of  our 
Chrysanthemum  exhibitions  if  this  method  of  exhibit- 
ing the  flowers  were  more  extensively  adopted.  It 


EXHIBITING     AND     JUDGING  65 

affords  a  welcome  relief  from  the  long  stemmed  flowers 
in  vases;  is,  in  fact,  a  most  satisfactory  compromise 
between  that  purely  American  method  and  the  Euro- 
pean custom  of  staging  the  flowers  on  boards  without 
a  vestige  of  foliage  or  visible  stem.  Where  such  classes 


Fig.  17 — PRIZE  VASE  OF  ONE  HUNDRED  TIMOTHY  EATON 

are  staged  the  visiting  public  always  congregates  about 
them,  doubtless  because  of  the  varied  character  of  the 
exhibits,  and  the  facility  with  which  they  can  be 
inspected.  Another  feature  to  recommend  such  ex- 
hibits is,  that  the  flowers  retain  their  freshness  and 
beauty  for  a  prolonged  period. 


00 


EXHIBITING     AND     JUDGING  67 

JUDGING 

Societies  or  organizations  holding  exhibitions  must 
employ  competent  judges  in  order  to  secure  the  good 
will  and  the  confidence  of  the  growers,  upon  whom  they 
rely  to  make  the  show.  Men  of  practical  ability  and 
known  integrity  must  be  chosen,  giving  preference,  if 
available,  to  men  who  have  already  distinguished 
themselvei  in  the  culture  of  the  flower  they  are  called 
upon  to  judge.  But,  beside  this  essential  knowledge, 
they  should  be  possessed  of  good  judgment  and  sound 
common  sense,  combined  with  a  capacity  to  critically 
consider  and  justly  appraise  true  merit. 

An  endeavor  to  systematize  judging,  to  make  it  a 
matter  of  mathematical  computation,  has  resulted  in 
the  arranging  of  a  scale  of  points  apportioned  to  cover 
all  the  essential  attributes  of  plant  and  flower.  This, 
however,  is  only  a  means  to  an  end  and  is  cumbersome 
at  the  best.  It  is  chiefly  used  when  some  new  variety 
appears  and  we  scale  it  to  see  the  result,  but  even  then 
a  practical  man  can  tell  by  intuition  just  about  where 
the  newcomer  stands  in  point  of  merit.  An  incom- 
petent man  could  not  take  the  scale  of.  points,  and,  by 
its  use,  get  a  correct  appraisal  of  merit.  A  competent 
man  possesses  that  faculty  which  enables  him  to  see 
merit  at  a  glance.  The  scale  is  but  an  analysis  of 
essentials  with  points  for  values,  and  the  chief  purpose 
it  serves  is  as  a  vehicle  for  expressing  conclusions 
arrived  at.  It  is  useful  in  a  limited  sphere  as  applied 
to  new  kinds,  but  judging  competitive  exhibits  of  cut 
blooms  is  a  different  matter  entirely,  and,  moreover, 
if  it  had  to  be  done  by  scale  of  points,  would  hardly 
be  completed  within  the  period  of  the  show. 

The  scales  of  points  as  revised  and  adopted  by  the 
Chrysanthemum  Society  of  America  at  its  meeting  in 
Boston,  November,  1904,  are  as  follows: 


68  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

SCALE  A. — Scale  of  points  for  bush  plants  and 
standards,  single  specimens  or  any  number  up  to  six, 
in  an  exhibition  where  the  class  under  consideration 
does  not  form  the  chief  feature  in  the  exhibition  hall. 

Equality  of  size  and  form  of  plant ...   40 

Excellence  of  bloom 35 

Foliage    25 

100 


SCALE  B. — Scale  of  points  for  bush  plants  in  ex- 
hibits of  more  than  six,  or  for  any  number  of  specimen 
plants,  in  an  exhibition  where  the  class  under  consid- 
eration forms  the  chief  feature  in  the  exhibition  hall. 

Excellence  of  bloom 40 

Equality  of  size  and  form  of  plants.  .   35 
Foliage    25 


100 


SCALE   C. — Scale   of  points  for  plants  grown  to 
single  stem  and  one  bloom. 

Excellence  of  bloom 40 

Compact  and  sturdy  growth 35 

Foliage    25 

100 


SCALE  D. — Scale  of  points  on  specimen  blooms  for 
commercial  purposes. 


EXHIBITING     AXD     JUDGING  69 

Color    20 

Form   15 

Fullness    10 

Stem    15 

Foliage 15 

Substance    15 

Size    .  10 


100 


SCALE  E. — Scale  of  points  on  specimen  blooms  for 
exhibition  purposes. 

Color    10 

Form    15 

Fullness 15 

-Stem    10 

Foliage    10 

Depth 15 

Size    ,  .  25 


100 


CHAPTER  X 

Specimen  Plants 

The  Chrysanthemum,  when  allowed  to  grow 
naturally,  makes  a  much-branched  bush  that  ,will 
produce  flowers  in  great  number.  The  culture  described 
in  previous  chapters,  has  been  for  the  production  of 
large  individual  flowers  only,  and  from  the  cutting  stage 
to  that  of  bud  formation  growth  has  been  confined  to 
one  shoot;  all  others,  as  they  appeared,  have  been 
removed. 

BUSH    PLANTS 

Availing  ourselves  of  the  plant's  natural  disposition 
to  branch,  we  can  pursue  its  culture  along  entirely 
opposite  lines,  and,  by  developing,  with  timely  assist- 
ance, its  branching  proclivities,  grow  plants  that 
will  attain  a  diameter  of  from  three  feet  to  five 
feet,  jet  not  exceed  three  feet  in  hight,  producing 
from  200  to  500  flowers  on  each  plant.  These 
are  called  specimen  bush  plants,  and  are  obtained 
by  a  systematic  pinching  of  the  growing  shoots,  thus 
encouraging  the  growth  of  many  more  shoots  than 
would  otherwise  appear  were  the  plants  left  to  grow 
entirely  their  own  way.  The  accepted  form  of  bush 
plants  for  exhibition  is  one  trained  in  a  semi-spherical 
shape,  with  its  flowers  regularly  disposed  all  over  by 
training  and  tying,  and,  if  well  done,  it  presents  an  even 
mass  of  flowers  which  individually  nearly  touch  each 
other.  It  is  usual  for  the  plant  to  show  about  one  inch 
of  clear  stem  above  the  soil  of  the  pot  in  which  it  is 
grown.  The  foundation  for  such  a  plant  is  laid  by 


SPECIMEN    PLANTS  71 

pinching  the  growing  point  of  a  young  plant  when  only 
about  four  inches  in  hight. 

STANDABD    PLANTS 

Standard  plants  differ  only  in  that  the  branched 
head  is  borne  at  a  hight  according  to  desire  of  from 
three  feet  to  six  feet  upon  a  single  supporting  stem,  and 
the  plant  $mst  first  be  grown  to  the  desired  hight  before 
the  point  is  pinched  out.  There  are  great  possibilities 
in  Chrysanthemum  culture  along  these  lines.  The 
Japanese,  particularly,  excel  in  growing  plants,  which 
they,  with  marvelous  patience  and  skill,  train  into 
many  shapes  and  grow  of  enormous  size.  Although 
those  who  grow  these  specimens  in  America  are 
few  in  number  compared  with  the  many  who  grow 
Chrysanthemums  for  cutting,  the  plants  they  produce 
and  pkce  on  exhibition  could  hardly  be  surpassed.  It 
is  not  uncommon  to  hear  these  specimens  decried  as 
ugly,  stiff  and  formal,  but  it  is  more  than  probable  those 
who  deny  them  the  striking  beauty  they  possess  never 
grew  a  specimen  in  their  life,  and  would  fail  in  the 
attempt.  Specimen  plants  appear  each  year  at  most 
of  our  large  Chrysanthemum  exhibitions,  but  the  best 
justification  of  them  is  furnished  by  the  annual  exhi- 
bition of  the  Massachusetts  Horticultural  Society  in 
Boston,  where,  for  many  years,  specimen  bush  plants 
have  been  the  leading  feature,  and  continue  so  to  be. 
A  superb  specimen  bush  plant,  with  standards  in  the 
rear,  is  seen  in  Fig.  19. 

To  grow  good  specimen  plants  is  to  tax  to  the 
fullest  extent  the  individual  skill  of  the  grower,  who 
must  be  an  enthusiast  and  manifest  a  keen  interest  in 
his  plants  all  the  time.  It  takes  nearly  a  year  to  grow 
one  of  these  great  specimens  because  an  early  start 
must  be  made  to  lav  the  foundation  of  abundant 


SPECIMEN    PLANTS  73 

branch  growth  before  that  period  is  reached  when 
Nature's  course  can  no  longer  be  arrested,  for  the 
shoots  must  then  be  permitted  to  grow  on  to  the  stage 
of  bud  formation. 

Given  the  desire  to  grow  them  and  the  intention 
to  apply  the  best  efforts  toward  the  purpose  in  view, 
there  is  no  special  difficulty  to  overcome,  merely  the 
observance  and  proper  performance  of  many  small  but 
essential  defeils,  as  here  enumerated  by  one  of  the  best 
growers  of  these  plants.* 

"The  time  to  commence  propagating  for  specimen 
plants  is  the  latter  part  of  December  or  early  in  Jan- 
uary, choosing  for  preference  cuttings  from  stock  plants 
that  have  not  been  forced  by  heavy  feeding  the  previous 
year.  When  the  cuttings  have  made  roots  about  half 
an  inch  in  length,  they  should  be  potted  into  two-inch 
pots,  as. if  left  to  make  any  growth  in  the  propagating 
bed,  they  become  hardened  and  drawn  and  will  never 
make  healthy  specimens.  From  the  time  the  cuttings 
are  rooted  they  should  never  be  allowed  to  suffer  for 
want  of  water,  air  or  space.  The  foundation  of  success 
is  laid  upon  a  close  attention  to  small  details  from 
the  start. 

"For  the  first  potting  use  loam,  with  the  addition 
of  some  leaf  mold  and  sufficient  sand  to  make  the  com- 
post open  and  porous.  Place  the  plants  as  near  the 
glass  as  possible,  in  a  cool  house  with  a  temperature  of 
about  fifty-five  degrees.  When  well  rooted  in  these  pots 
they  are  shifted  to  larger  ones  as  required,  first  into 
four-inch,  then  into  six-inch,  and  by  the  month  of 
May  they  should  be  large  enough  to  require  seven  or 
eight-inch  pots.  The  condition  called  well-rooted  may 
be  explained  for  the  benefit  of  the  amateur  who  might 
err  in  leaving  the  plants  too  long  in  the  small  sized  pots. 


*D.  F.  Boy  of  Maiden,  Mass. 


74  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

As  soon  as  the  roots  have  run  freely  through  the  soil 
given  at  the  last  repotting,  which  can  be  easily  ascer- 
tained by  turning  a  plant  out  of  its  pot,  the  plants  are 
ready  for  another  shift.  They  should  never  remain 
until  they  become  pot-bound  or  the  resultant  check  to 
growth  consequent  upon  letting  them  get  into  this  state 
can  never  be  fully  remedied. 

"At  each  potting  a  stronger  soil  should  be  given, 
using  a  mixture  of  fibrous  loam,  well  decayed  manure 
and  a  sprinkling  of  bone  meal.  The  dark  flowered 
varieties  are  very  apt  to  burn,  and  this  trouble  may,  in 
part,  be  corrected  by  the  use  of  some  charcoal  in  the 
soil,  or  larger  pieces  may  be  used  with  the  drainage 
material  at  the  bottom  of  the  pot. 

"The  plants  should  receive  their  final  potting,  which 
may  be  into  ten-inch  or  twelve-inch  pots,  according  to 
size  and  vigor,  sometime  during  the  early  part  of  the 
month  of  June.  For  this  final  shift  a  good,  rich  com- 
post should  be  made  of  a  rough  or  open  character, 
using  plenty  of  half-decayed  sod.  The  potting  must 
be  well  and  firmly  done  and  the  compost  such  that, 
after  consolidation,  it  will  still  allow  of  the  free  passage 
of  water.  Should  the  only  available  soil  be  of  a  heavy 
or  adhesive  nature  mix  some  sharp  sand  with  it  as, 
above  all  things,  porosity  must  be  maintained.  The 
plants  have  to  remain  in  these  pots  for  six  months, 
during  which  large  quantities  of  water  must  be  given, 
therefore  it  is  most  important  to  guard  against  danger 
of  stagnation,  as  the  roots  of  a  water-logged  plant  soon 
perish,  and  it  is  hardly  possible  to  nurse  it  back  to 
former  health  and  vigor.  » 

"A  careful,  systematic,  properly-timed  course  of 
pinching  the  shoots,  generally  called  'stopping,'  must 
also  be  pursued  from  early  infancy,  but  never  pinch 
and  pot  at  the  same  time,  as  this  would  result  in 


SPECIMEN"     PLANTS  75 

subjecting  the  plants  to  a  double  check  at  root 
and  branch  simultaneously.  The  essential  'stopping 
can  either  be  performed  a  week  or  so  in  advance  of 
repotting  or  deferred  until  a  week  or  ten  days  after, 
when  the  roots  have  begun  to  run  into  the  new  soil. 
According  to  condition,  the  grower  must  judge  for  him- 
self which  operation  should  be  performed  first. 

''When  the  plants  are  about  four  inches  high,  pinch 
out  the  tips,Vhich  induces  several  growths  to  start;  they, 
in  turn,  when  they  have  made  a  growth  of  from  three  to 
four  leaves,  are  again  pinched,  and  this  should  be  con- 
tinued until  the  first  of  August.  'Stopping*  of  the 
late  flowering  varieties  should  be  discontinued  ten  days 
earlier.  Xo  stimulant  should  be  given  as  long  as  the 
plants  are  making  a  healthy  growth,  but  just  as  soon 
as  the  foliage  shows,  by  its  color,  that  more  food  is 
necessary,  begin  by  using  cow,  sheep  and  horse  manure 
in  liquid  form,  interchanging  each  week  with  soot  and 
some  standard  concentrated  fertilizer.  The  first  ap- 
plication should  be  very  weak,  but  as  the  plants  become 
accustomed  to  the  food  give  it  in  stronger  doses.  Of 
course  each  grower  must  .use  his  own  judgment  as  to 
the  requirements  of  his  plants.  Some  varieties  that  are 
of  a  weak  growth  will  not  stand  strong  feeding,  while 
those  of  a  healthy  growth  can  scarcely  be  overfed.  If 
at  any  time  the  growth  of  the  plants  seems  to  be 
checked,  or  lack  tone  of  color,  a  light  dose  of  nitrate 
of  soda  will  assist  them,  using  it  at  the  rate  of  twelve 
ounces  to  fifty  gallons  of  water. 

"When  grown  inside,  the  plants  should  receive  all 
the  air  possible,  leaving  a  good  space  between  them  so 
as  to  allow  a  free  circulation  of  air  and  room  for  syring- 
ing. When  the  nights  become  cool,  heat  may  be  given, 
allowing  some  ventilation  so  that  the  air  may  not 
become  heavy  with  humidity,  for  Chrysanthemums 


76  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

require   a  lively,  bracing  atmosphere.     They  may  be 
grown  in  the  open  from  June  to  August  if  there  be 


Fig.    20 — SPECIMEN   BUSH   PLANT   OF   GARZA,    CARRYING 

800  BLOOMS  AND  MEASURING  SIX  FEET  IN  DIAMETER 

— GROWN  BY  DAVID   F.   ROY,   MALDEN,   MASS. 

facilities  for  their  protection  during  heavy  wind  and 
rain  storms.     The  plants  should  stand  in  full  sunlight 


78 


THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 


Fig.    22 — A   FIRST    PRIZE   BUSH    PLANT 


away  from  trees  and  buildings,  otherwise  the  treat- 
ment is  the  same  as  when  grown  under  glass.  When 
the  .shoots  have  made  a  growth  too  heavy  for  self- 


SPECIMEN    PLANTS  79 

support,  a  few  stakes  should  be  put  in,  just  to  keep 
them  from  becoming  twisted  and  broken  by  the  wind. 

"During  September  they  will  begin  to  show  buds, 
each  shoot  producing  several  at  the  terminal  point. 
Chinese  and  Japanese  varieties  make  better  specimens 
by  disbudding  to  one  bud  on  each  shoot.  The  Anemone 
and  Pompon  varieties  are  much  prettier  if  all  the  buds 
are  left  to  blossom  as  seen  in  Fig.  20.  As  soon  as  the 
buds  begin  to  show  color  it  is  time  to  do  the  staking 
and  training,  which  may  be  in  any  form  to  suit  one's 
fancy.  The  usual  way,  however,  is  in  the  form  of  a 
half  globe.  Some  growers  use  circular  wire  frames 
made  to  suit  special  forms,  but  they  give  the  plants 
a  much  stiffer  appearance.  If  carefully  tied  out  to 
willow  stakes  the  disposition  of  shoot  and  flower  is 
more  under  control.  Whatever  method  be  used,  when 
finished,  the  flowers  should  nearly  touch  each  other  as 
seen  in  Figs.  21  and  22.  Those  who  contemplate  ex- 
hibiting will  find  the  plant  tied  to  stakes  more  conven- 
ient to  handle  for  transportation,  as  the  shoots  can  be 
lightly  drawn  together  without  injury  in  packing. 
The  plant  tied  to  a  wire  frame  is  a  rigid  fixture. 

"Insect  enemies  have  to  be  fought  all  the  time,  chief 
among  them  being  green  and  black  fly,  red  spider, 
grasshoppers  and  cutworms;  also  guard  against  mildew 
and  rust.  Given  the  necessary  constant  attention,  by 
doing  the  work  at  the  proper  time,  no  plant  responds 
more  readily  to  the  care  bestowed  upon  it  than  does  the 
Chrysanthemum. 

"To  grow  standard  Chrysanthemums,  the  plant 
should  be  trained  to  one  stem  by  pinching  out  all  side 
and  bottom  shoots.  As  it  makes  growth,  tie  to  a  strong 
stake  so  that  the  stem  may  be  straight  and  not  be  broken 
by  the  wind.-  Leave  the  stake  long  enough  so  that  the 
framework  of  wire  may  be  fastened  thereto,  as  this 


80  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

method  of  training  is  the  best  to  use  for  standards. 
They  may  be  grown  to  any  hight  from  three  to  six 
feet.  At  whatever  hight  you  wish  the  lower  branches 
to  break,  there  pinch  out  the  leader.  Several  shoots 
will  then  start  which  should  be  pinched  the  same  as  for 
bush  plants.  With  the  exception  of  growing  to  a  single 
stem,  the  general  care  for  standard  Chrysanthemums  is 
the  same  as  for  the  specimen  bush  plants. 

"Some  of  the  best  varieties  grown  for  exhibition 
flowers  are  not  adapted  to  specimen  plant  culture,  while 
old  varieties  that  have  been  superseded  or  discarded 
through  lack  of  size  make  admirable  plants,  in  fact, 
their  adaptability  to  this  culture  has  been  the  chief 
reason  for  their  remaining  in  cultivation." 

A  suitable  and  comprehensive  selection  of  varieties 
is  given  in  another  chapter.  Special  mention  might  be 
made  of  the  Anemone  and  Pornpon  varieties  as  there 
recommended.  As  specimen  plants  they  have  a  dis- 
tinctive, graceful  beauty,  as  seen  in  Fig.  20. 


CHAPTER   XI 
Chrysanthemum  Plants  in  Six-Inch  Pots 

The  adaptability  of  the  Chrysanthemum  to  various 
methods  01  culture  greatly  widens  its  field  of  usefulness 
so  that  it  is  practically  brought  within  the  means  of  all. 
An  easy  and  delightful  way  of  growing  good  flowers 
upon  small  plants  and  in  small  pots  is  practiced  by 
some  growers,  a  system  that  is  deserving  of  wide 
popularity.  Late  struck  cuttings  are  grown  on  into 
plants  that  require  a  pot  only  six  inches  in  diameter, 
and  the  plants  often  do  not  exceed  two  feet  in  hight, 
yet  produce  blooms  of  almost  exhibition  merit.  Such 
plants  are  admirable  for  use  in  decorating  the  home 
and  are  much  more  lasting  than  cut  flowers.  It  is 
really  surprising  that  one  only  occasionally  meets  with 
the  Chrysanthemum  well  grown  in  this  way,  and  that 
usually  in  some  good  private  garden.  Such  plants 
ought  to  be  a  staple  market  article  in  season  and  hardly 
less  numerous  than  cut  flowers.  They  certainly  should 
appeal  to  those  who  grow  for  their  own  pleasure,  and 
more  especially  to  those  who  cannot  afford  to  devote 
a  whole  house  to  Chrysanthemums  planted  out  on 
benches. 

The  following  detailed  description  of  the  method 
pursued  is  from  the  pen  of  an  excellent  grower,* 
who  has  for  many  years  been  most  successful  with 
Chrysanthemums  grown  in  every  way;  but  particularly 
meritorious  are  those  that  he  grows  in  six-inch  pots,  a^ 


*P.  l>uff,  Orange,  >'.  .T. 


82  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

shown  in  Fig.  23,  illustrating  the  varieties  Merza  and 
Wm.  Duckham. 

"We  usually  put  in  the  cuttings  for  six-inch  single 
stems  about  June  1.  This  may  seem  late  to  some 
growers,,  but  having  paid  careful  attention  to  this  class 
for  several  years,  it  has  been  found  that  the  best  results 
come  from  cuttings  inserted  about  this  time.  Prefer- 
ence is  given  to  cuttings  for  this  purpose  from  plants 
that  have  been  kept  in  cold  frames  all  winter,  as  they 
are  of  a  more  sturdy  growth  than  those  in  the  green- 
house. The  propagating  bench  is  filled  with  clean, 
sharp  sand,  which,  after  being  beaten  down,  is  about 
three  inches  in  depth.  The  cuttings  are  then  inserted, 
given  a  thorough  watering  and  a  syringing  morning 
and  evening  on  all  bright  days. 

'"For  shading  the  cuttings  newspapers  may  be  used, 
which  should  be  removed  every  evening.  Plenty  of 
ventilation  is  given  at  all  times  to  prevent  damping  off. 
When  the  cuttings  are  rooted  they  are  potted  quite 
firmly  into  clean  three-inch  pots  and  watered.  They 
are  placed  on  a  bench  in  the  greenhouse  on  finely  sifted 
coal  ashes  and  kept  shaded  from  the  sun  for  a  week 
or  so,  after  which  they  are  allowed  all  the  light  and 
air  possible.  The  compost  used  for  potting  the  cut- 
tings consists  of  four  parts  of  light  loam  to  one  part 
of  old,  well-rotted  manure,  and  is  put  through  a  half- 
inch  sieve. 

"The  plants  are  syringed  mornings  and  after- 
noons on  all  bright  days.  When  the  plants  are  well 
rooted  in  the  three-inch  pots  they  are  shifted  into  six- 
inch  pots,  which  are  washed  clean  and  well  crocked  or 
drained.  The  compost  used  for  this  potting  consists 
of  four  parts  of  good  fibrous  loam  and  one  part  of  well 
rotted  cow  manure,  both  chopped  up  finely.  To  every 
wheelbarrow  of  this  is  added  a  six-inch  potful  of  fine 


PLANTS    IX    SIX-IXCH    POTS 


83 


Fig.    23 CHRYSANTHEMUMS    MERZA    ( WHITE)     AND 

WM.     DUCKHAM      (PIXK) 

bone  meal,  also  a  six-inch  potful  of  a  high  grade  con- 
centrated fertilizer,  and  the  whole  is  thoroughly  mixed. 


84  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

"This  potting  is  done  very  firmly  to  induce  a 
dwarf,  sturdy  growth.  The  plants  are  placed  again  on 
the  greenhouse  bench,  watered  and  shaded  for  a  few 
days  from  the  sun.  As  the  plants  begin  to  grow  they  are 
staked  to  prevent  their  being  bent  over  by  the  syringing, 
which  is  done  twice  a  day,  during  bright  weather,  until 
the  buds  begin  to  show,  when  they  are  only  syringed 
in  the  morning  so  that  the  house  is  dry  by  night. 
After  the  plants  grow  and  the  pots  are  filled  with  roots, 
feeding  with  weak  liquid  manure  is  begun.  Enough 
is  given  to  keep  the  foliage  in  good  color  until  the  bud 
sets,  after  which  they  are  fed  regularly  twice  a  week. 
The  plants  are  always  watered  with  clear  water  previous 
to  receiving  the  liquid  manure. 

"Cow  and  sheep  manure  are  used,  also  soot,  steeped 
in  a  barrel  in  the  usual  way,  but  care  must  be  taken 
not  to  give  .it  too  strong.  These  materials  are  changed 
every  week.  We  usually  give  the  plants  a  tap  dressing 
of  soil,  manure  and  a  little  high  grade  fertilizer  when 
the  feeding  begins,  the  continual  watering  having 
washed  out  some  of  the  soil.  We  continue  feeding 
until  the  blooms  are  three-fourths  open. 

"During  the  growing  of  the  plants  attention  is 
paid  to  staking  and  keeping  all  side  growths  removed. 
We  generally  take  the  first  bud  that  comes,  which 
usually  is  about  the  latter  part  of  August  or  the  begin- 
ning of  September,  according  to  variety.  To  keep  clear 
of  green  and  black  aphis  during  the  growing  period,  we 
sprinkle  the  plants  with  tobacco  dust  once  a  week  in 
the  morning  and  syringe  it  off  after  a  couple  of  hours. 
After  the  buds  have  set  we  fumigate  with  Aphis  punk 
and  place  tobacco  stems  on  the  heating  pipes  under  the 
benches.  Red  spider  is  kept  in  check  by  a  judicious 
use  of  the  syringe.  As  the  blossoms  are  opening  we 
shade  the  greenhouse  lightly  with  white  lead  and 


PLANTS    IX    SIX-INCH    POTS  85 

kerosene.  The  temperature  of  the  house  at  this  time 
is  fifty  degrees  at  night  to  sixty  degrees  during  the  day." 

Still  smaller  plants  may  be  had  if  desired,  by 
using  only  a  three-inch  or  four-inch  pot,  yet  in  their 
season  bearing  flowers  of  proportionate  size,  these  being 
propagated  still  later.  In  some  gardens  it  is  customary 
to  grow  a  number  of  these  miniature  Chrysanthemums, 
they  might  be  called,  as  they  are  found  very  serviceable 
to  finish  off  groups  or  other  arrangements  of  the  larger 
ones.  Even  when  the  flower  bud  is  formed  it  is  possible 
to  make  a  cutting  of  the  shoot,  and  when  the  same  has 
put  forth  roots  it  can  be  kept  growing,  and  from  the 
bud  at  its  tip  will  develop  a  flower  of  good  size  and 
quality.  This,  too,  is  a  method  that  could  be  put  to 
good  use  by  the  amateur  having  small  facilities.  To  have 
these  miniature  plants  at  their  best  they  should  be 
propagated  any  time  during  the  month  of  August,  if 
possible,  taking  the  cutting  just  prior  to  the  formation 
of  the  crown  bud.  The  cuttings  should  be  made  about 
four  .inches  long  and  only  have  the  lowest  leaves 
removed,  as  the  aim  should  be  to  preserve  the  foliage 
as  much  as  possible,  as  little  more  will  grow.  If  the 
cuttings  be  kept  moist  and  shaded  they  will  root  in 
about  two  weeks,  when  they  should  be  gradually  inured 
to  the  light  so  as  to  keep  them  dwarf  and  sturdy.  If 
properly  treated  they  will,  when  in  flower,  be  only  from 
eight  inches  to  twelve  inches  in  hight. 

Varied  uses  might  be  suggested  for  these  tiny  plants, 
and  especially  so  for  table  decoration.  It  is  important 
to  select  varieties  of  strong  growth  for  this  treatment 
which  will  hold  up  their  flowers  well,  but  any  of  those 
in  the  list  given  for  six-inch  pots  will  do.  Of  course  it 
is  necessary  to  have  plants  from  which  suitable  cuttings 
can  be  secured  at  this  late  date,  but  this  can  be  easily 
accomplished.  They  may  even  be  grown  in  the  open 


86  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

ground,  planting  them  out  in  spring.  If  planted  out 
and  grown  up  to  three  or  four  strong  shoots  from  which 
the  side  shoots  are  kept  disbuded,  these  tips  will  make 
the  very  best  of  material  to  cut  off  and  root  in  August. 
If  one  has  a  number  of  plants  under  glass,  some  of  which 
have  grown  too  tall  for  the  position  they  occupy,  they 
may  be  beheaded,  and  every  one  converted  into  a  minia- 
ture plant  that  will  flower  in  due  season.  There  is  no 
uncertainty  about  this  method  and  the  results,  given 
the  suitable  material  and  the  right  treatment;  but 
to  behead  a  Rose  or  Carnation  at  this  stage  and  try 
to  make  a  flowering  plant  of  it,  would  only  end  in 
failure.  This  further  illustrates  the  adaptability  of  the 
Chrysanthemum  to  wide  and  varied  uses. 


CHAPTER   XII 
Commercial  Culture* 

The  Chrysanthemum  is  grown  today  in  immense 
quantities  for  commercial  cut  flower  purposes,  though 
the  average  price  to  the  wholesale  grower  grows  less 
and  less  as  time  rolls  on.  The  margin  of  profit  today 
is  microscopical  and  were  it  not  for  the  fact  that  the 
bench  space  is  made  valuable  by  other  crops,  during  the 
winter,  it  would  seem  that  many  growers  would  have 
to  discontinue  growing  them  entirely.  This  is  not  due 
to  a  decreased  demand;  the  quantity  of  flowers  that 
are  grown  and  sold  being,  as  before  indicated,  enor- 
mous; but  it  is  due  to  the  large  quantity  of  absolute 
rubbish  that  is  thrown  on  the  market,  and  which,  being 
hard  to  move  at  any  price,  helps  to  depress  the  sale  of 
tfre  choicer  grades  to  a  very  considerable  extent. 

The  question  has  been  asked  what  is  a  fair  price 
for  Chrysanthemum  flowers.  A  man  growing  stock 
of  exhibition  size  and  finish  should  get  fifty  dollars 
per  hundred  as  a  wholesale  price.  This  will  allow  a 
margin  to  compensate  for  the  flowers  that  will  be 
spoiled  by  damping,  bruising,  destruction  by  insects 
and  the  hundred  and  one  other  mishaps  that  may  befall 
them.  Such  stock  will  have  to  be  planted  on  the 
benches  in  May,  grown  all  summer  and  never  be 
neglected  for  a  moment.  A  fair  grade  of  flowers  can  be 
profitably  produced  for  twenty-five  dollars  per  hundred 
by  planting  closer  in  the  bench,  setting  out  the  plants 

•By  Charles  H.  Totty,  Madison,  N.  J. 


88  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

in  June  and  feeding  only  moderately.  Where  the 
profit  is  on  those  flowers  that  are  wholesaled  by  the 
thousand,  at  from  three  cents  upward,  is  a  hard  matter 
to  figure  out. 

PROPAGATION 

Assuming  that  the  grower  is  desirous  of  producing 
a  good  grade  of  flowers,  propagation  should  be  pro- 
ceeded with  during  March  and  April  to  have  plants  in 
nice  shape  to  set  out  on  the  benches  during  May  or 
June.  For  late  flowers,  cuttings  may  be  rooted  as  late 
as  July,  the  idea  being  to  keep  these  late  flowering 
plants  in  a  soft  growing  condition  after  the  early  and 
midseason  kinds  are  setting  buds. 

Just  as  soon  as  the  cuttings  are  rooted  they  should 
be  potted  in  a  nice  light  soil,  free  from  manure  of  any 
description,  the  aim  at  this  time  being  to  produce  a 
dwarf,  stocky,  healthy  little  plant  in  a  good  growing 
condition.  Keep  the  young  plants  in  a  good,  light,  airy 
house  with  ample  ventilation — the  cold  frame  after 
April  1  being  an  ideal  place  to  grow  on  the  stock, 
providing  a  water  supply  is  handy. 

PLANTING 

Planting  should  be  proceeded  with  when  the  plants 
are  in  good  condition,  and  the  soil  for  filling  the 
benches  should  be  a  good  fibrous  loam  that  has  been 
stacked  up  the  previous  fall  and  composted  with  one- 
fourth  its  bulk  of  good  cow  manure.  This  soil  will 
cut  down  in  the  spring  in  a  nice,  mellow  condition,  and 
as  the  heap  is  turned  over  a  liberal  sprinkle  of  fine 
bone  should  be  mixed  through  it.  The  bench  is  then 
filled  just  level  full,  without  firming,  then  when  the 
plants  are  set  out  the  whole  bench  can  be  pounded 
down  uniformly  and  evenly. 


90  THE      CHRYSANTHEMUM 

Some  discrimination  should  be  used  in  planting, 
setting  out  the  early  kinds  in  a  bench  by  themselves  so 
that  when  they  are  cut  the  soil  can  be  cleaned  out 
immediately  and  the  bench  space  used  at  once  for 
another  crop.  Dwarf  kinds  should  be  planted  on  the 
side  benches  where  head  room  is  restricted,  and  the  taller 
kinds  in  the  center  benches  where  they  will  have  room 
to  stretch  themselves  without  having  to  be  pulled  down 
from  the  glass.  (Figs.  24  and  25.) 

The  distance  apart  to  set  out  the  plants  is 
governed  considerably  by  the  quality  of  stock  it  is 
desired  to  grow.  For  very  best  flowers  of  exhibition 
grade  nine  by  six  inches  is  as  close  as  it  is  wise  to 
attempt  to  grow  plants,  keeping  them  to  single  stem. 
Some  growers  plant  at  this  distance  and  take  up  two 
stems,  but  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  more 
crowded  the  plants  the  poorer  will  be  the  grade  of 
flowers  produced. 

After  planting,  the  chief  work  during  the  summer 
consists  of  keeping  the  stock  tied  up  and  free  from 
insects.  In  from  ten  to  twelve  weeks  after  planting, 
the  plants  will  be  in  need  of  feeding  somewhat  to  keep 
them  growing  along,  and  a  light  mulch  of  well  rotted 
manure  will  be  found  very  beneficial,  affording,  as  it 
does,  nourishment  for  the  plants  and  keeping  the  soil 
from  drying  out  too  rapidly. 

Feeding  with  liquid  fertilizers  may  be  practiced 
every  week  or  so  until  the  buds  show  color,  after  which 
time  it  must  cease,  as  the  plants  should  then  be  in 
condition  to  finish  the  flowers  in  good  shape,  and  feed- 
ing, if  continued  too  long,  makes  the  flowers  soft 
and  flabby  and  liable  to  decay. 

Buds  may  be  taken  on  many  of  the  early  kinds  by 
the  first  or  second  week  in  August;  in  fact,  they  must 
be  taken  for  very  early  flowers,  as  a  bud  needs  from 


\ 


92  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

six  to  ten  weeks  to  develop,  and  it  is  impossible  to 
take  buds  on  early  flowering  kinds  in  September  and 
expect  to  cut  flowers  by  October  1.  Second  early  and 
midseason  kinds  may  be  taken  with  safety  by  the  end 
of  August,  and  for  late  kinds,  of  course,  the  later  the 
bud  can  be  secured  the  later  will  be  the  crop.  After 
the  buds  are  swelling  and  before  they  show  color  it 
should  be  seen  to  that  the  plants  are  entirely  free  from 
insects,  black  and  green  fly  particularly,  as  smoking 
cannot  be  practiced  when  the  plants  are  in  full  flower, 
and  a  flower  that  is  alive  with  aphis  is  unsalable  in 
any  market. 

The  cutting  and  shipping  of  the  flowers  will  be 
regulated  more  or  less  by  the  market  demand,  but  it 
is  a  good  policy  to  ship  the  flowers  just  as  soon  as  they 
are  fully  developed  rather  than  leave  them  on  the 
plant  till  they  are  past  their  best.  Care  and  time  spent 
in  packing  is  well  spent,  as  it  is  an  easy  matter  to 
destroy  the  labor  of  weeks  by  careless  handling  of 
the  flowers. 

COMMERCIAL     TYPES 

The  type  of  flower  best  suited  to  commercial  pur- 
poses is  the  Japanese  incurved.  This  type  gives  size 
and  the  incurving  petals  are  not  easily  bruised  in 
shipping.  Good  examples  of  this  type  are  Col.  Ap- 
pleton,  yellow,  and  Wm.  Duckham,  pink.  The  Japa- 
nese or  reflexed  types  are  great  favorites  with  flower 
buyers,  as  a  rule,  but  unless  they  are  packed  separately 
in  tissue  paper  they  are  apt  to  become  interlaced  in 
the  box  and  torn  to  pieces  when  being  taken  out.  For 
this  reason  the  Japanese  are  largely  tabooed  in  the 
large  wholesale  centers,  though  the  florist  who  grows 
and  retails  his  own  flowers  will  find  it  greatly  to  his 
advantage  to  handle  some  kinds  that  are  not  on  sale 
at  every  street  corner  in  the  large  cities.  The  flower 


COMMERCIAL     CULTURE  93 

buyer  loves  a  change  and  with  the  variety  afforded  by 
the  Chrysanthemum  there  should  be  no  lack  of  novelty. 

POT    PLANTS 

Pot  plants  are  not  very  largely  grown  any  more, 
commercially,  though  there  is  no  reason  why  they 
should  not  be  made  a  profitable  asset  in  a  general 
florist's  business.  The  style  of  plant  most  generally 
seen  is  rooted  about  April,  kept  pinched  until  June  and 
then  allowed  to  come  up  with  from  four  to  eight  shoots 
in  a  seven-inch  pot.  There  is  no  apparent  reason  why 
single  stem,  six-inch  pot  plants,  should  not  be  made 
commercially  profitable,  and,  undoubtedly,  if  well 
grown  and  finished,  they  would  create  a  market  for 
themselves  anywhere. 

Many  plants  are  annually  grown  outside  during 
the  summer,  lifted  the  first  week  in  September  and 
potted.  If  the  operation  of  lifting  be  carefully  per- 
formed so  that  the  roots  are  not  injured  too  much,  and 
the  plants  are  shaded  until  they  take  hold  of  the  new 
soil,  it  is  surprising  what  nice  stock  can  be  produced 
in  this  manner. 

The  Chrysanthemum  stands  today  as  a  staple 
flower,  commercially,  in  its  season,  and  the  pessimists 
who  predicted  a  speedy  decline  of  its  popularity  are 
living  to  see  what  was  termed  "a  passing  fad"  perma- 
nently established  as  the  flower  of  the  people  and  the 
"Queen  of  Autumn/' 


CHAPTER    XIII 

Raising  from  Seed  and  Hybridizing* 

SEED     RAISING 

In  the  early  days  of  Chrysanthemum  development 
in  the  United  States  results  were  forthcoming  which 
gave  us  many  splendid  varieties  introduced  by  American 
growers.  Of  late  years,  seedling  Chryanthemum  pro- 
duction in  our  country  has  not  brought  forth  anything 
like  the  number  of  varieties  annually  produced  prior 
to  1896  and  1897.  The  falling  off  in  the  number  of 
American  novelties  may  be  attributed  to  several  causes ; 
one  of  these  is  the  rejection  of  nearly  all  the  varieties 
failing  to  meet  the  trade  requirements  laid  down  by  the 
wholesale  cut  flower  commission  men.  They  claimed  that 
a  variety  must  have  a  rounded  compact  form,  one  that 
could  be  shipped  easily  without  bruising;  in  addition 
to  this  it  must  be  self-colored,  either  distinctively 
white,  yellow,  red,  or  a  near  approach  to  pink;  it  must 
possess  foliage  right  up  to  the  flower  on  stiff  stems; 
so  arbitrary  was  the  enforcement  of  this  rule  that  a 
new  variety  not  possessing  these  particular  qualities 
was  condemned  and  cast  aside  as  worthless;  there  was 
no  place  for  the  fine,  graceful,  recurving  Japanese  type, 
and  what  few  varieties  of  these  were  grown  had  a  hard 
time  to  hold  in  line,  and  were  simply  tolerated. 

This  unwritten  rule  practically  excluded  all  new 
sorts  which  were  of  the  variable  colored  order,  such  as 
bronze,  lavender,  and  any  intermediate  shadings,  and 
narrowed  the  field  down  to  so  few  varieties  that  many 

*By  E.  G.  Hill,  Richmond,  Ind. 


SEED     RAISING     AXD     HYBRIDIZING  95 

seedling  growers  gave  up  in  despair,  and  not  a  few  lost 
interest  and  ceased  all  effort.  This  was  particularly 
true  of  the  private  gardeners;  a  few,  however,  perse- 
vered, but  with  lessened  zeal,  the  result  being  that  a 
minimum  number  of  American  novelties  have  ap- 
peared since  the  years  mentioned. 

Notwithstanding  this  circumscribed  field  a  few 
desirable  American  seedlings  have  been  introduced 
from  year^to  year  and  have  added  charm  and  interest 
to  Chrysanthemum  culture.  With  the  waning  interest 
in  seedling  Chrysanthemum  raising  came  a  great  fall- 
ing off  in  the  popularity  of  the  Autumn  Queen;  this 
always  results  when  the  element  of  novelty  is  eliminated. 

With  the  advent  of  the  splendid  Australian  sorts, 
and  the  additional  latitude  allowed  and  recommended 
by  the  Chrysanthemum  Society  of  America,  in  pro- 
viding for  classes  that  might  have  artificial  supports, 
if  necessary,  and  for  short  stemmed  exhibits  on  mossed 
boards,  greater  interest  is  being  taken  in  the  Chrysan- 
themum, and  as  a  consequence,  novelties  were  never  in 
greater  demand  than  they  are  at  the  present  time. 
Kenewed  activity  is  noted  along  the  old  lines  and 
new  varieties  of  American  origin  may  be  looked  for 
in  increased  numbers. 

Is  it  profitable  to  raise  seedling  Chrysanthemums? 
Will  it  pay  to  give  time,  skill  and  care  to  the  raising 
of  new  varieties?  This  is  a  leading  question  and  one 
upon  which  depends  the  future  popularity  of  the 
Chrysanthemum,  in  measure,  at  least. 

There  is  but  one  answer  and  that  is  an  affirmative 
one:  Yes,  it  will  pay.  A  good  novelty  will  bring 
adequate  returns  for  the  time  and  effort  put  forth  in 
its  production.  This  is  a  mercenary  view  to  take,  but 
whether  we  like  it  or  no,  it  is  a  potent  factor  in  the 
evolution  of  either  the  Rose,  the  Carnation  or  the 


96  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

Chrysanthemum.  To  obtain  best  results,  cross-fertiliza- 
tion must  be  resorted  to;  careless  or  indifferent  work 
here,  or  haphazard  gathering  of  seed,  fertilized  only  in 
the  imagination,  or  depending  upon  insect  agency,  will 
not  bring  satisfactory  results;  perhaps  in  isolated  in- 
stances a  novelty  of  merit  may  be  produced,  but  expe- 
rience teaches  it  to  be  an  utterly  unreliable  procedure. 
The  experience  of  successful  producers  of  Chrysanthe- 
mums goes  to  show  that  scientific  methods  alone  will 
win.  Methods  based  upon  accredited  results  and  using 
carefully  recorded  data,  form  the  only  true  way  of 
securing  satisfactory  returns  from  efforts  to  improve 
the  Chrysanthemum. 

HYBRIDIZING   THE    CHRYSANTHEMUM 

The  right  way  to  proceed  with  hybridizing  is  to 
conceive  an  ideal  in  the  mind  before  commencing  the 
work.  Perhaps  the  raiser  of  new  Chrysanthemums 
cannot,  like  Michael  Angelo,  see  an  angel  in  a  block  of 
rough  hewn  marble,  but  in  similar  manner  we  can 
picture  in  our  minds  what  a  blending  of  the  finer 
qualities  and  attributes  of  two  parent  Chrysanthemums 
may  bring  forth — perhaps  not  exactly  a  winged  angel, 
but  possibly  an  almost  angelic  creation  of  petals,  form 
and  bloom  may  be  the  resultant  outcome.  If,  for 
illustration,  a  variety  possessing  an  exquisite  color,  but 
lacking  in  other  qualities  necessary  to  make  the  ideal,, 
is  to  be  improved  upon,  the  pollen  parent  selected 
should  possess  the  qualities  lacking  in  the  female 
variety  selected.  In  other  words,  seek  to  breed  into  your 
prospective  seedling  an  improved  form,  or  stiffer  stem, 
or  other  good  quality  lacking  in  the  mother  selected. 
If  you  have  a  color  scheme  to  work,  keep  this  in  mind 
in  selecting  the  pollen  from  a  plant  which  harmonizes, 
in  measure,  at  least,  with  the  variety  you  propose 


SEED     RAISING     AXD     HYBRIDIZING  97 

operating  upon.  The  experience  of  the  writer  is 
against  any  radical  cross-color  scheme;  if  whites  and 
reds  are  crossed,  in  nearly  every  case  the  progeny  will 
have  an  indefinite  color;  keep  well  within  similar  color 
lines  for  best  results,  never  losing  sight  of  the  ideal 
aimed  at. 

Ordinarily,  it  is  best  that  the  plant  used  for  seed 
producing  should  be  pot  grown  in  a  somewhat  sterile 
soil,  so  as^to  have  the  reproductive  organs  in  as  near 
a  normal  condition  as  possible;  excessive  use  of  stim- 
ulants or  an  over-rich  soil  tends  to  unduly  develop  the 
reproductive  organs  in  many  varieties.  Plants  grown 
under  a  high  state  of  culture  are  apt  to  be  less  inclined 
to  produce  well  developed  seed,  because  of  an  excessive 
flow  of  sap;  not  so  with  the  pollen  producing  parent — 
oftentimes  it  is  best  to  give  good  culture  in  order  to 
secure  a  liberal  supply  of  pollen. 

GATHERING  AND  APPLYING   THE   POLLEN 

When  gathering  pollen  a  dry,  sunshiny  day  should 
be  selected,  as  it  is  generally  easier  to  collect  it  in 
bright  weather  than  on  a  dark  or  murky  day,  the 
plants  perfecting  a  larger  quantity  and  in  better  con- 
dition for  use  in  fine  weather.  One  method  of  apply- 
ing the  pollen  to  the  stigma  is  to  select  a  piece  of  soft 
pine,  whittled  down  to  the  size  of  a  toothpick,  chewing 
the  point  into  fibrous  shreds — these  will  hold  the 
particles  of  pollen  and  they  can  be  deposited  on  the 
stigma  immediately.  This  is  the  direct  method. 

Another  and  more  speedy  way  is  to  take  a  piece 
of  clean  glass  of  such  size  that  it  can  be  placed  directly 
under  the  center  of  the  flower.  It  is  best  to  have 
assistants  hold  the  piece  of  glass,  and  when  the  flower 
is  held  over  the  glass,  in  a  horizontal  position,  a  rap 
from  the  back  of  a  knife  will  cause  the  pollen  to  be 


98  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

shed  upon  the  glass.  This  is  perhaps  the  most  prac- 
tical and  simple  method  of  procedure  so  far  as  pollen 
gathering  is  concerned.  Pollen  gathered  and  placed  in 
glass  vials  or  receptacles  can  be  used  at  such  times  as 
the  stigma  of  the  flower  to  be  operated  upon  is  in 
proper  condition.  Pollen  of  the  Chrysanthemum  will 
retain  its  vital  function  for  several  weeks,  if  kept  in 
an  equable  temperature,  in  fact  the  pollen  of  the  early 
flowered  varieties  will  retain  its  vitality  for  crossing 
purposes  during  the  entire  season.  This  ability  to  pre- 
serve the  pollen  has  its  advantages  in  that  it  enables 
the  operator  to  use  the  pollen  from  the  very  early 
flowering  varieties  upon  the  midseason  and  later  sorts, 
thus  allowing  an  opportunity  for  enlarging  and  embel- 
lishing the  simpler  forms  of  the  early  kinds.  Seedlings 
from  such  crossing  generally  perfect  their  flowers  at 
an  earlier  date  than  those  belonging  to  the  seed  parent. 

The  preparation  of  the  flower  to  be  pollenized  is 
generally  a  cutting  back  of  the  petals  to  within  an  inch 
of  their  base,  some  even  closer — this  is  done  so  that 
the  operator  may  place  the  little  granules  of  pollen  dust 
directly  upon  the  stigma  in  the  petal  tube.  Some 
remove  the  entire  center  of  the  flower  when  the  direct 
method  obtains;  this  is  considered  by  others  unneces- 
sary, regarding  it  as  too  radical  treatment,  tending  to 
destroy  the  functional  powers  of  the  bloom.  To  have 
absolutely  accurate  results  -  it  is  best  to  remove  the 
pollen-bearing  stamens,  in  order  to  prevent  any  self- 
fertilization. 

Another  method  is  to  gather  the  pollen  and  shake 
it  over  the  pistils  of  the  flower  which  is  to  act  the  part 
of  seed  bearer.  This  requires  a  larger  quantity  of 
pollen  to  be  effective,  but  if  the  pollen  is  to  be  had  in 
quantity,  it  is  usually  a  satisfactory  way.  The  essential 
thing  in  successful  crossing  is  to  be  careful  to  perform 


SEED     RAISING     AND     HYBRIDIZING  99 

the  operation  when  the  reproductive  organs  are  fully 
developed  and  perfect.  This  knowledge  will  be  easily 
acquired  by  experience  and  comes  only  by  observation 
and  practice. 

Owing  to  the  prevalence  of  bees  and  other  insects 
at  the  time  the  Chrysanthemums  are  in  bloom,  it  is 
well  to  sack  or  tie  the  heads  of  flowers  crossed  in 
tissue  or  paraffine  paper.  This  is  considered  useless  by 
many  p^-sons  who  have  worked  at  crossing  the  Chrys- 
anthemum, but  it  should  be  done  to  prevent  insect  inter- 
ference. 

The  importance  of  correct  atmospheric  conditions 
cannot  be  overrated.  After  the  plants  have  been 
pollenized,  it  is  best  to  select  a  dry,  airy  house  where 
a  moderate  temperature  is  maintained.  The  great 
drawback  to  ripening  Chrysanthemum  seed,  and  the 
cause  of  failure  in  most  cases,  is  the  excess  of  moisture 
found  in  the  house  where  the  plants  are  placed. 
Where  there  are  overhead  steam  or  hot  water  pipes,  it 
is  a  good  plan  to  have  a  shelf  on  which  to  place  the 
pots  so  that  the  heads  fertilized  may  be  sufficiently 
near  the  pipes  for  the  heat  to  take  up  any  excess  of 
moisture.  Keeping  the  heads  dry  is  certainly  one  of 
the  essential  requisites  for  ripening  the  seed.  The 
climatic  conditions  existing  in  Australia  and  in 
southern  France  are  a  helpful  and  important  factor 
in  ripening  the  seed  in  those  localities,  hence  the  many 
splendid  varieties  appearing  there. 

SOWING    THE    SEED 

After  harvesting  and  cleaning  the  seed,  sow  it  in 
January,  using  a  leaf  mold,  if  procurable.  If  this  be 
not  available,  then  any  good  garden  mold,  free  from 
manure,  will  answer,  but  the  soil  should  be  of  a  light 
character.  Some  cover  the  seed  with  soil,  but  unques- 


100  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

tionably  the  best  covering  is  a  thin  layer  of  very  fine, 
clean  sand,  because  of  the  minute  size  of  most  Chrysan- 
themum seeds. 

WATERING 

Have  a  pot  of  water  standing  by  the  seed  box  or 
pots,  whichever  is  used,  and  in  it  a  Scollay's  gum 
sprinkler,  so  that  a  mist  of  water  may  be  given  when- 
ever there  is  any  appearance  of  drying.  To  let  Chrysan- 
themum seed  go  dry  after  it  has  made  an  effort  to 
germinate  will  certainly  cause  the  tiny  germ  to  die. 

It  is  on  record  that  out  of  thirty-five  seedling 
Chrysanthemums  carefully  bred  by  one  expert,  three 
varieties  were  selected.  These  three  sorts  netted  the 
raiser  over  $6000  from  their  sale  the  following  year. 
Take  another  example — the  same  person,  at  a  subse- 
quent date,  sent  to  California  and  had  grown  for  him 
several  hundred  of  the  latest  and  finest  varieties  of 
Chrysanthemums,  thinking  that  by  natural  causes,  or 
through  insect  agency,  enough  of  the  flowers  would 
become  pollinated  to  give  some  high  grade  seed.  Seed 
in  quantity  was  returned,  6000  germinated,  some 
5000  were  flowered,  and,  as  a  result  of  all  this  labor 
and  time  expended,  less  than  twelve  were  eventually 
selected,  and  only  three  were  graded  as  distinct  and  good 
enough  to  merit  names,  and  not  one  out  of  the  whole 
lot  ever  made  a  permanent  place  for  itself.  Seedling 
raising  is  far  from  being  an  exact  science! 

After  all  the  details  given  above,  the  reader  and 
would-be  raiser  of  seedling  Chrysanthemums  will  ask: 
"Does  it  pay  to  go  to  all  this  trouble  and  bother?" 
and  in  spite  of  failures  and  in  the  face  of  ridiculously 
low  percentages  of  success,  the  enthusiast  will  look  his 
questioner  straight  in  the  eye  and  reply:  "It  does!"' 


CHAPTER    XIV 

Sports 

A  .large  number  of  good  Chrysanthemums  have 
originated  as  "sports."  This  term,  is  of  rather  obscure 
meaning  to  the  average  person  in  its  application  to 
flowers,  although  perfectly  well  understood  by  horticul- 
turists. A  Chrysanthemum  or  any  other  flower  is  said 
to  "sport"  when  it  produces  a  flower  totally  different 
in  color,  and  sometimes  in  form  as  well,  from  the 
original.  For  example,  a  pure  white  flower  may  appear 
upon  a  Chrysanthemum  that  naturally  produces  pink 
flowers — a  white  one  may  sport  into  a  yellow.  Such 
variations  from  the  type  are  often  decided  acquisitions, 
and  an  effort  is  usually  made  to  fix  the  "sport/'  or, 
in  other  words,  to  obtain  from  the  shoot  that  produced 
the  flower,  plants  that  will  continue  the  variation  and 
give  similar  flowers.  A  "sport,"  therefore,  is  the  dis- 
tinguishing term  applied  to  a  Chrysanthemum  that  has 
been  obtained  through  a  natural  variation  of  some 
existing  variety.  It  is  in  every  respect  a  new  Chrysan- 
themum, and  in  merit  usually  equals,  and  in  some  cases 
even  surpasses,  the  variety  that  gave  it  birth.  When  a 
new  variety  is  therefore  cataloged  as  a  "sport"  from  some 
specified  kind,  a  knowledge  of  the  parent  is  a  fairly 
safe  index  as  to  the  probable  merit  of  the  progeny. 
To  cite  a  few  instances,  Glory  of  the  Pacific,  a  pink 
variety,  gave  rise  to  Polly  Rose,  white,  and  Cremo, 
yellow;  Viviand  Morel  produced  Charles  Davis,  Lady 
Hanham  and  Mrs.  J.  Ritson;  Mme.  Carnot  gave  Mrs. 
W.  Mease  and  G.  Wermig;  Nellie  Pockett  sported  into 


the  still  more  beautiful  Cheltoni,  and  the  latest  addition 
to  the  numerous  "sports"  is  a  pure  white  counterpart 
of  that  fine  early  pink  Chrysanthemum,  Mrs.  Coombes. 

The  underlying  causes  of  '"sports"  are  not  easy  to 
explain;  they  are  freaks  of  nature  and  of  welcome 
appearance  when,  as  often  happens,  they  give  us  the 
counterpart  of  a  grand  Chrysanthemum  in  another 
color;  something  that  years  of  hybridizing  and  raising 
from  seed  with  the*  same  object  in  view  may  fail  of 
accomplishment.  It  is  curious,  too,  that  a  variety  will 
often  remain  true  to  itself  for  several  years,  then, 
suddenly,  and  sometimes  simultaneously  in  widely  re- 
mote places,  will  develop  sporting  proclivities  with 
exactly  similar  results;  a  sport  identically  alike  in  all 
respects  having  been  known  to  appear  in  three  or  four 
separate  places  the  same  year.  In  order  to  "fix"  a 
"sport" — by  which  is  meant  obtaining  plants  that  will 
perpetuate  the  flower — recourse  must  be  had  to  propa- 
gation. 

If  the  plant  that  "sported"  has  been  grown  to  a 
single  stem,  bearing  only  one  flower,  in  all  probability 
the  usual  young  shoots  that  spring  up  from  the  base 
of  the  same  plant  will  partake  of  the  same  character, 
but  on  the  other  hand  there  is  no  certainty  that  they 
will,  as  reversion  to  the  parent  type  the  following  year 
is  by  no  means  uncommon.  A  case  in  point  occurred 
last  season.  The  pink  Chrysanthemum,  Mrs.  Barclay, 
in  England,  produced  a  "sport"  that  was  almost  white ; 
a  distinct  and  very  beautiful  flower.  Young  plants  of 
it  were  quite  generally  distributed,  purchased  by  other 
growers  in  the  spring  of  1904,  but  when  they  flowered 
the  following  autumn  all  produced  pink  flowers — had,  in 
fact,  reverted  to  the  parent  Mrs.  Barclay.  In  most 
cases,  however,  a  "sport"  is  easily  fixed,  especially  if 


SPORTS  103 

cuttings  are  secured  from  the  stem  or  shoot  that  bore 
the  flower. 

A  good  plan  to  encourage  stem  growths  and  at 
once  secure  a  goodly  number  of  the  new  kind  is  to  take 
the  plant  up,  if  planted  on  a  bench — or  if  in  a  pot  to 
take  it  out — and  lay  the  whole  plant  down  horizontally 
upon  a  bed  of  sand  in  the  propagating  house,  covering 
the  stem  with  sand  but  leaving  the  leaves  intact,  and, 
as  far  as  possible,  exposed.  If  kept  moist  young  shoots 
will  grow  out  from  the  stem  of  which  cuttings  can  be 
made  in  the  usual  manner.  The  white  "sport"  of  Mrs. 
Coombes,  previously  mentioned,  appeared  on  a  single 
stem  plant  which  was  treated  as  here  advised.  From 
the  cuttings  secured,  other  cuttings  were  made,  and, 
last  November,  one  hundred  plants — every  one  of  which 
produced  a  pure  white  flower — represented  the  progeny 
of  the  single  "sport"  that  occurred  the  previous  year, 
there  being  not  a  single  reversion. 

Upon  bush  plants,  or  plants  bearing  more  than 
one  flower,  "sports"  are  more  likely  to  occur,  and  it 
may  be  that  only  one  flower  shoot  on  the  entire  plant 
has  sported.  In  such  a  case  it  is  obviously  necessary 
to  propagate  entirely  from  that  shoot,  as  often 
there  is  no  sign  of  any  suitable  side  growth,  as  they 
have  all  been  previously  removed  in  the  interest  of 
the  flower  bud.  The  grower  need  not  despair,  however, 
of  securing  young  plants.  The  best  procedure  in  this 
case  is  to  carefully  cut  off  the  leaves  with  a  heel  or 
portion  of  the  wood  of  the  shoot  attached,  inserting 
these  as  cuttings  in  a  pot  of  sand,  keeping  the  same 
moist  and  enclosed  in  a  propagating  case,  or  under  a 
bell  glass,  till  roots  have  been  emitted  and  young  shoots 
put  forth. 

The  possibility  that  any  of  our  best  Chrysanthe- 
mums may  at  any  moment  "sport"  into  something  new 


104  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

find  of  equal  or  greater  merit,,  adds  additional  interest 
and  the  zest  of  expectation  to  every  flowering  season. 
For  example:  A  white  Wm.  Duckham  or  Col.  D. 
Appleton  would  have  an  enormous  commercial  value, 
yet  it  may  possibly  happen.  The  entire  process  that 
brings  it  about,  however,  is  one  of  Nature's  secrets  that 
we  cannot  fathom,  nor  is  there  any  known  method  of 
treatment  that  may  be  said  to  he  conducive  to  an  evolu- 
tion or  manifestation  of  this  natural  freak.  It  has 
happened  since  the  early  days  of  Chrysanthemum 
culture  and  will  continue  so  to  do,  but  always  spasmod- 
ically and  with  uncertainty. 


CHAPTER   XV 

Hardy  Chrysanthemums* 

The  history  of  the  Chrysanthemum  in  America 
shows  thfct  many  years  before  the  flower  attained  its 
present  popularity  it  was  known  and  grown  and  ap- 
preciated as  a  humble  outdoor  garden  flower.  It? 
merit  and  adaptability  along  these  lines  are  quite  over- 
shadowed by  the  large  exhibition  types,  yet  this  should 
not  be  so.  Although  all  are  the  progeny  of  one 
common  ancestor,  in  no  sense  do  they  come  into  con- 
flict, each  fills  its  own  separate  niche  in  Flora's  temple, 
and  the  hardy  types  should  certainly  hold  the  largest 
part  in  popular  estimation,  since  they  come  within  the 
means  of  all  who  have  a  small  area  of  ground  that 
may  be  cultivated  about  the  home. 

The  hardy  Chrysanthemums  give  us  gay  colors  and 
lavish  beauty  at  a  season  and  time  when  nothing  else  is 
to  be  had.  Even  though  frost  withholds  its  chilly  grip, 
the  best  of  summer  and  autumn  gardens  are  in  the 
sere  and  yellow  leaf  by  the  middle  of  October;  but  the 
floral  cycle  of  the  year  need  not  end  before  another 
month  or  more.  Another  chapter  remains,  one  that, 
as  yet,  is  as  a  sealed  book  to  many.  Those  who  have 
opened  its  pages  willingly  admit  that  the  hardy  Chrys- 
anthemum brings  forth  a  most  captivating  climax  and 
a  fitting  conclusion  to  the  year  of  flowers  in  the  out- 
door garden. 

At  present  we  see  too  few  of  them,  and  these  in 
unfrequented  places.  In  some  country  cottage  gardens 


*By  R.  A.  Vincent,  Whitmarsh,  Md. 


Fig.    26 TYPES    OF    HARDY    CHRYSANTHEMUMS 


HARDY     CH  BY  SAN  THE  MUMS  107 

there  are  hardy  Chrysanthemums  that  have  been  grow- 
ing there  for  half  a  century,  and,  in  November,  tossing 
their  vari-colored  garlands  in  the  breeze  in  rich  pro- 
fusion, gay  floral  tributes  to  all  other  vegetation  -  now 
passed  into  its  long  winter  sleep.  A  few  degrees  of 
frost  do  them  no  harm  and  they  rise  superior  to  the 
seasonal  storms  of  wind  and  rain  that  pertain  to  their 
blooming  period.  The  same  infinite  variability  of  form 
and  color  nthat  adds  so  much  to  the  charm  of  their 
greenhouse  relatives  is  found  in  the  hardy  types. 
Great  size  is  eliminated,  but  all  else  that  is  precious  and 
beautiful  in  flowers,  they  possess  to  the  fullest  extent. 
Several  types  of  hardy  varieties  are  shown  in  Fig.  26. 

Chrysanthemums  are  steadily  coming  more  and 
more  into  popular  favor.  In  the  fall,  when  our  gardens 
put  on  their  somber  coat  of  winter,  comes  the  hardy 
Chrysanthemum  to  cheer  and  beautify  the  grounds, 
trying,  as  it  were,  to  extend  "the  good  old  summer 
time."  It  is  then  that  the  happy  suburbanite,  or 
Chrysanthemum  amateur,  can  look  with  pride  at  the 
Pompons  that  he  has  grown,  equally  as  good  as  those 
of  the  practical  florist,  and  that  right  out  in  his  garden 
or  window  box. 

How  well  do  we  remember  the  old-fashioned  Pom- 
pon— the  pride  of  our  grandmother's  garden.  They 
were  dull  white,  pale  pink,  a  kind  of  a  peculiar  bronze 
maroon,  but  not  like  those  we  have  today.  Great  strides 
have  been  made  in  the  last  few  years  in  improving 
this  type,  and  they  have  well  kept  pace  with  their  giant 
relatives  in  wonderful  combinations  of  color  and 
different  style  of  flower,  from  the  tiny  close-quilled 
variety,  not  larger  than  the  tip  of  one's  finger,  to  the 
exquisitely  beautiful  Aster  type  and  those  as  single  as 
a  Daisy  in  the  most  delicate  tints  and  shades  and  form 
of  flower.  Some  have  broad  petals,  others  sharp;  some 


108  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

long  and  twisted  like  the  Cactus  Dahlia,  others  small 
and  compact.  It  would  seem  as  if  the  whole  scope  of 
variation  had  been  gone  over  to  produce  such  an  array 
of  colors  as  is  now  found  in  them.  Those  who  knew 
them  in  the  past  are  surprised  at  some  of  the  magnifi- 
cent varieties  of  recent  introduction,  which  have  created 
such  great  enthusiasm  and  brought  the  Pompons  into 
more  popular  favor. 

That  they  are  hardy  and  of  easy  culture  does  not 
mean  that  they  need  no  care  at  all;  in  fact,  there 
are  very  few  flowers  that  respond  more  readily,  or 
pay  better  interest  for  the  care  bestowed  on  them, 
than  the  Pompon  Chrysanthemums  do.  Planted  and 
allowed  to  take  care  of  themselves  they  will  produce 
a  surprising  amount  of  flowers.  But  by  planting 
healthy  young  plants  every  spring,  and  giving  them 
good,  practical,  common  sense  treatment,  the  surprise 
at  the  amount  of  good  flowers  developed  will  be  still 
greater.  The  methods  of  culture  given  here  are  for 
the  Middle  Atlantic  States,  and  outside  the  limits  of 
this  latitude  must  be  varied  according  to  circumstances 
and  conditions. 

There  are  many  florists  who  do  not  look  at  the 
Pompon  Chrysanthemums  in  a  commercial  way,  but 
as  a  necessary  evil  or  a  luxury  and  not  as  a  profitable 
investment,  but  the  fact  is  that  there  is  money  in  them 
— rather  more,  to  a  certain  extent,  than  in  the  large 
flowering  varieties,  as  better  results  can  be  obtained 
at  less  expense,  and  they  do  not  need  the  attention 
that  must  be  given  the  larger  ones  to  bring  them  to 
even  a  fair  state  of  perfection.  To  grow  Pompons  first 
care  must  be  exercised  in  the  selection  of  varieties 
suitable  to  the  different  uses  they  are  intended  to  fill, 
either  for  cut  flowers,  bedding,  pot  plants,  window 
garden,  etc. 


HARDY     CHRYSANTHEMUMS  109 

For  cut  flowers  the  large  flowering  or  Aster  types 
are  the  best,  care  being  taken  to  select  only  the  long 
stemmed  varieties.  These  can  be  grown  so  as  to  produce 
three  or  four  flowers  on  sprays  fifteen  to  twenty  inches 
long,  three  to  five  sprays  to  the  plant.  They  should  be 
planted  where  they  can  be  protected  from  heavy  frpst 
and  winds,  as  the  flowers  will  not  come  to  perfection 
if  exposed  to  severe  frost.  A  good  practice  is  to  grow 
them  in  $he  field,  planting  good,  young  pot-grown 
plants  as  soon  as  all  danger  from  frost  is  over,  in 
rows  three  and  one-half  feet  apart  and  twelve  inches 
in  the  row,  topping  back  until  there  are  five  or  six 
good  branches.  These  will  make  bushes  about  two  feet 
high  by  the  time  to  take  them  in.  Those  to  bloom 
early  are  put  in  cold  frames  three  feet  deep,  planting 
them  almost  as  close  as  they  will  stand,  this  being  done 
as  soon  as  they  commence  to  show  buds,  which  is  gener- 
ally about  the  middle  of  September.  The  sash  is  kept 
off  in  daytime,  but  put  on  when  the  nights  are  cool, 
so  that  they  are  in  bloom  by  the  time  the  outdoor 
flowers  are  killed  by  the  frost.  More  are  put  in  in 
about  two  weeks  after  the  first,  the  last  being  left 
as  late  as  can  be  done  safely.  Even  if  they  get  a  light 
touch  of  frost,  it  does  not  hurt  them  until  the  flowers 
commence  to  show  color,  when  they  are  put  in  a  house 
where  they  can  be  given  a  little  heat  when  it  is  very 
cold.  In  this  way  a  succession  of  crops  may  be  main- 
tained from  early  O.ctober  until  late  December,  and, 
by  doing  some  disbudding,  sprays  of  from  two  to  three 
flowers  on  good,  long  stems  will  be  produced.  There 
is  nothing  better  for  bunching  or  table  decorating  at 
this  time  of  the  year. 

Then  there  should  be  some  of  the  exquisite 
smaller  varieties  grown  in  the  same  way  to  be  used 
for  the  making  up  of  bunches  of  the  larger  flowers, 


110  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

giving  them  a  refined  finish  that  can  be  obtained  in  no 
other  way.  Long  sprays  are  magnificent  when  grown 
to  perfection  and  there  is  scarcely  anything  better 
for  decorative  work  where  such  sprays  can  be  used. 
The  best  way  to  grow  them  is  in  a  house,  and  giving 
them  about  the  same  general  treatment  that  is  given 
the  large  varieties,  except  the  disbudding.  They  must 
have  plenty  of  room  so  as  to  secure  good  foliage  and 
flowers  all  up  the  stems,  in  which  state  they  are  unsur- 
passed for  beauty,  and  deserve  to  be  more  extensively 
grown  in  this  manner. 

As  pot  plants,  the  small  or  dwarf  varieties  have 
no  equal,  either  for  specimen  plants  in  large  pots  or  for 
the  retail  trade  in  small  pots.  They  should  be  grown 
in  two  and  one-half  or  three-inch  pots  until  the  middle 
of  July  or  first  of  August,  then  shifted  to  four  or  five- 
inch  pots  and  plunged  in  a  frame  or  some  place  where 
they  can  be  watered  and  fed  to  some  extent  and  a 
little  care  given  to  pinching  back,  although  the  proper 
varieties  will  not  need  much  of  that.  Nice  plants 
twelve  to  twenty,  inches  high  and  the  same  in  diameter, 
with  heads  on  them  like  an  Azalea,  will  result  if 
well  grown. 

For  bedding  outside,  varieties  that  are  rather 
dwarf  are  the  best  where  it  is  not  desirable  to  have 
them  growing  all  summer  or  when  they  are  wanted  to 
fill  in  beds  where  Coleus,  Crotons,  Acalyphas,  etc.,  have 
been  used  in  the  summer.  They  can  be  grown  in  the 
garden  or  nursery  and  after  the  other  plants  begin  to 
show  the  effects  of  the  cold  nights,  then  the  Chrysan- 
themums may  be  carefully  lifted  and  planted  in  the 
beds  with  very  satisfactory  results.  It  is  better  to  do 
this  when  the  weather  is  somewhat  cloudy  and  not 
windy;  then,  if  they  be  well  watered,  no  bad  effects 
will  follow  and  the  beds  will  make  a  very  favorable 


HARDY     CHRYSANTHEMUMS  111 

showing  far  into  the  winter.  To  have  the  best  results 
from  open  air  culture,  however,  they  should  be  planted 
in  the  spring  in  the  ground  where  they  are  to  flower. 
This  may  be  in  beds  or  borders,  among  shrubs,  along 
hedges,  at  the  base  of  buildings — in  fact,  given  a 
fair  quality  of  soil  there  is  hardly  a  position  about  the 
home  that  cannot  be  embellished  with  hardy  Chrysan- 
themums if  so  desired. 

A  p^n  practiced  by  many  is,  in  spring  to  dig  up 
the  clumps  that  have  stood  out  all  winter  and  carefully 
divide  them  into  small  pieces,  each  having  two  or  three 
small  shoots  attached,  again  replanting  these.  This 
plan  answers  very  well,  but  it  is  preferable  to  have 
a  new  stock  of  plants  each  year,  fresh  raised  from 
cuttings  of  the  young  shoots.  In  order,  however,  to 
follow  out  this  plan,  it  is  necessary  to  have  the  con- 
venience of  glass,  and  some  of  the  plants  must  be  lifted 
and  placed  under  glass  for  early  propagation.  Those 
who  are  contemplating  culture  on  a  large  scale  would 
be  well  advised  to  follow  this  plan  entirely,  but  it  need 
not  concern  the  amateur  who  has  no  glass  at  all  at 
his  disposal. 

He  may  plant  his  Chrysanthemums  and  leave  them 
in  the  same  position  for  a  number  of  years  by  giving 
them  a  good  top  dressing  of  manure  each  spring. 
When  left  in  this  way  it  is  beneficial  to  cut  out  some 
of  the  weaker  of  the  many  shoots  that  come  up  in  spring, 
as  a  concentration  of  strength  upon  those  that  remain 
will  show  improved  results  at  flowering  time.  Only 
when  they  show  signs  of  diminishing  strength  need  they 
be  disturbed,  and  then  they  may  be  lifted,  divided  and 
replanted  in  spring  as  previously  advised.  One  thing 
is  certain,  the  Pompon  Chrysanthemum  with  its  adapt- 
ability to  all  surroundings,  its  ability  to  do  well  under 


112  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

the  most  adverse  circumstances — thanks  to  its  ironclad 
constitution — its  infinite  variety  of  type  and  wide  range 
of  color,  is  a  flower  for  the  masses  and  well  worthy 
of  the  fullest  measure  of  popularity. 


CHAPTER  "XVI 

Chrysanthemums  for  the  South  and  West 

There  is  probably  a  large  and  promising  field  for 
Chrysanthemum  culture  South  and  West  in  a  latitude 
where  there  is  no  danger  of  frost  to  militate  against  the 
development  of  the  flowers.  The  differences  in  climatic 
conditions  and  environment,  however,  give  rise  to  cul- 
tural problems  that  must  be  met  and  solved.  It  would 
almost  appear  that  there  is  a  necessity  of  originating 
varieties  to  meet  the  conditions.  This  should  not  be 
an  impossible  task,  especially  when  we  regard  the 
amazing  development  and  improvement  of  the  Chrysan- 
themum as  it  is  today  in  Europe  and  America  as  com- 
pared with  the  primitive  types  originally  brought  from 
and  still  cultivated  in  the  Orient,  the  land  of  its  birth. 
It  can  hardly  be  assumed  that  we  have  reached  the  limit 
or  exhausted  the  possibilities  of  the  flower.  The  follow- 
ing extracts  from  a  paper  contributed  to  and  read  at 
the  meeting  of  the  Chrysanthemum  Society  of  America 
at  Chicago,  in  November,  1903,  by  Mr.  F.  P.  Davis  of 
Mobile,  Alabama,  shows  the  needs  of  the  latitude  in 
which  he  resides  and  are  suggestive  of  means  whereby 
we  may  still  further  extend  the  culture  of  Chrysan- 
themums. Australian  and  New  Zealand  growers  have 
achieved  wonders  within  the  last  decade.  Intelligent 
effort,  combined  with  a  knowledge  of  the  necessities, 
would,  in  all  probability,  be  eventually  rewarded  by  the 
creation  of  a  class  of  Chrysanthemums  especially 
adapted  to  the  South,  as  already  one  or  two  varieties 
afford  evidence  of  the  possibility. 


114:  THE   CHRYSANTHEMUM 

A  TYPE:  ITS  TREATMENT  IN  THE  SOUTH* 

Surprising  as  it  may  seem,  the  modern  Chrysan- 
themum is  yet  a  novelty  in  many  parts  of  the  extreme 
South.  Our  native  florists  have  not  been  alive  to  the 
spirit  of  progress  and  those  who  have  come  to  us 
schooled  by  the  contact  with  thrift  have  been  of  the  not 
uncommon  class  of  mind  that,  though  in  the  full 
fruition  of  methods,  cannot  apply  them  to  conditions 
and  locality.  It  is  no  longer  a  problem  to  evade  the 
dangers  of  cold,  but  to  control  heat  is  the  obstacle  that 
confronts  us,  and  makes  Chicago  better  suited  to  flori- 
culture than  Mobile. 

Few  of  the  many  very  excellent  varieties  of  Chrys- 
anthemum can  expand  their  flowers  under  the  influence 
of  a  tropical  sun.  This  one  condition  is  what  taxes  the 
mind  of  the  Southern  grower.  By  very  close  observa- 
tion we  must  find  a  type  that  meets  the  emergency 
and  weigh  our  selections  by  its  standard.  Any  robust 
variety  that  grows  quickly  from  late  planting  will  do, 
provided  its  flowers  do  not  linger  in  the  bud,  but  burst 
and  open  like  a  Eose.  No  matter  what  the  glowing 
eulogy  in  the  catalog  may  say  for  it,  if  it  fail  in  this 
one  quality  it  disappoints  the  grower. 

In  no  variety  do  we  find  this  quality  so  strongly 
in  evidence  as  in  the  old  Golden  Gate,  a  feature  which 
it  possesses  to  a  degree  almost  incomparable.  Let  the 
great  growers  study  their  stock  for  this  simple  prereq- 
uisite, and  put  into  their  catalog  a  list  suited  to 
the  South.  They  will  do  much  to  increase  their  own 
trade  and  assist  the  Southern  grower  on  the  road  to 
success. 

In  my  own  home  city,  where  40,000  souls  breathe 
the  pure  air  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  20,000  more 
live  in  its  beautiful  suburbs,  there  is  not  one  modern 

*By  F.  P.  Davis,  Mobile,  Ala. 


CHRYSANTHEMUMS     FOR     THE     SOUTH  115 

greenhouse  where  Chrysanthemums  are  grown  for  sale. 
This  condition  is  largely  due  to  the  many  trials  in  the 
past,  where  their  best  efforts  have  been  failures  for  want 
of  the  proper  type. 

As  to  treatment,  it  is  simple,  but  do  not  be  deluded 
with  the  idea  that  a  first-class  Chrysanthemum  can  be 
grown  in  the  South  without  the  protection  of  glass. 
Surely  not  to  give  it  heat,  but  protection  from  rain  and 
wind  it  feust  have.  It  is  true  the  sides  may  be  only  of 
canvas,  and  here  we  may  obtain  our  ventilation,  but 
we  must  be  able  to  make  the  house  perfectly  close  in 
order  to  combat  insects  and  keep  out  storm  winds.  My 
experience  has  been  that  solid  beds  are  better  than 
benches,  for  the  reason  that  they  do  not  dry  out  so  fast, 
and  we  can  better  risk  keeping  them  a  little  on  the  dry 
side  as  a  protection  against  mealy  bugs.  Of  course, 
perfect  drainage  must  be  given,  for  which  purpose  I 
have  used  coarse  gravel  with  the  best  results.  It  would 
be  suicidal  to  use  any  wood  in  the  construction  of  the 
beds  or  even  as  plant  stakes,  as  white  ants,  or  wood  lice, 
as  we  know  them,  are  sure  to  appear  about  the  time 
your  plants  look  the  most  promising.  These  wood  lice 
are  only  second  to  the  corythuca  in  point  of  destruc- 
tiveness. 

I  should  advise  all  growers  who  are  ambitious  to 
achieve  success  in  the  South  to  shun  commercial 
fertilizers.  I  know  of  one  grower  who  has  been  quite 
successful  with  liquid  manure  made  from  cotton  seed 
meal  rotted  in  water  for  sixty  days  and  used  very  much 
diluted,  but  I  take  my  chances  with  a  heavy  mulch  of 
rotted  sweepings  from  the  cow  lot,  having  first  given 
the  beds  a  light  dusting  of  bone  meal,  and  then  trust 
to  ample  nourishment  at  flowering  time  from  copious 
watering,  this  being  too  late  to  give  much  encourage- 
ment to  the  mealy  bugs. 


116  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

For  the  corythuca  I  have  used,  with  the  best  results, 
weak  kerosene  emulsion,  sprayed  on  the  under  side  of 
the  foliage,  this  pest  being  similar  in  habit  to  the  red 
spider,  but  not  having  the  protection  of  the  web.  As 
the  corythuca  is  not  so  well  known  outside  of  the  cotton 
growing  States,  I  may  ask  your  indulgence  to  give  him 
an  introduction  to  you.  It  huddles  in  flocks  on  the 
under  side  of  the  leaves  and  suggests  to  the  naked  eye 
a  flock  of  sheep  as  you  may  have  seen  them  grazing  in 
the  woods.  When  the  plant  is  shaken  the  little  fellows 
fly  to  the  ground  and  at  once  begin  to  scramble  back  to 
the  stem  of  the  plant,  which  they  climb  and  start  a  new 
colony.  The  body  is  about  the  size  of  a  good  fat  black 
aphis.  The  wings  stand  out  so  that  it  has  the  appear- 
ance of  a  woolly  sheep.  In  color  it  is  a  dirty  gray.  It 
feeds  altogether  on  the  under  side  of  the  leaf,  and  its 
presence  is  therefore  not  noticed  until  the  mischief  is 
done.  While  the  touch  of  kerosene  is  certain  death  to 
it,  I  have  never  known  a  house  of  plants  to  be  free  of 
it  or  amount  to  much  after  it  once  made  a  showing. 
The  evaporation  of  tobacco  juice  effectively  rids  the 
house  of  aphides,  and  we  no  longer  look  upon  this  pest 
with  any  great  alarm. 

I  have  long  ago  concluded  that  while  we  may  be 
very  successful  with  the  Chrysanthemum  in  the  far 
South,  by  growing  the  proper  type  and  giving  it  careful 
treatment,  we  may  never  hope  to  reach  that  stage  of 
perfection  which  is  attained  further  North.  Climate 
and  conditions  are  against  us. 


CHAPTER   XVII 

Chrysanthemums   In   Australia 

Only  within  recent  years  has  the  Chrysanthemum 
come  ini^  special  prominence  in  Australia,  but  already 
the  Australian  varieties  have  attained  a  world  wide 
reputation.  It  is  proper  that  some  mention  should  be 
made  of  them,  for  it  cannot  be  denied  that  the  Austra- 
lian varieties  have  given  an  impetus  to  Chrysanthemum 
culture  in  America  within  the  last  few  years,  owing  to 
the  marked  adaptability  shown  by  the  Australian  varie- 
ties to  respond  and  do  well  under  the  conditions  of 
climate  and  environment  that  prevail  here.  The  prob- 
able explanation  for  this  is  the  similarity  of  conditions 
in  regard  to  great  heat  and  sunshine,  inasmuch  as  for 
years  we  have  experienced — often  at  considerable  cost — 
the  utter  refusal  of  some  of  the  very  best  European 
varieties  to  respond  to  the  best  of  culture  in  America. 
The  Australians  "came  and  saw  and  conquered." 
Already  they  have  won  universal  recognition,,  have  been 
the  chief  winners  at  recent  exhibitions,  and  this,  prob- 
ably, is  but  a  foretaste  of  what  will  follow.  Yet  Aus- 
tralian methods  of  culture  differ  markedly  from  those 
followed  here,  except  possibly  in  the  extreme  South  and 
in  the  Far  West,  where  good  flowers  may  be  grown  in 
the  open  ground  as  in  Australia. 

Among  the  several  raisers  who  have  taken  up  the 
Chrysanthemum  in  Australia,  one  of  the  most  success- 
ful, and  one  whose  varieties  are  in  cultivation  in  every 
good  collection  in  our  country  today,  is  Mr.  Thomas  W. 
Pockett  of  Malvern,  Victoria.  Some  of  the  leading 


118  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

varieties  from  this  raiser,  and  which  have  been  dis- 
tributed from  England  by  W.  Wells  &  Co.,  are:  In 
1898,  Nellie  Pockett  and  T.  Carrington;  1899,  Lord 
Ludlow;  1900,  Lord  Salisbury  and  Miss  Ida  Barwood; 

1901,  C.  J.  Salter,  Charles  Longley  and  W.  E.  Church; 

1902,  Mrs.  T.  W.  Pockett,  Ben  Wells,  Mrs.  E.  Thirkell 
and  Henry  Barnes;  1903,  W.  Duckham,  F.  A.  Cobbold, 
Harrison    Dick,    Leila    Filkins,    Mary    Inglis,    S.    T. 
Wright,  Maynell  and  W.  A.  Etherington;  1904,  Dora 
Stevens,  Merstham  Yellow,  Mrs.  W.  Duckham  and  J.  H. 
Doyle,  while  1905  has  a  large  offering  yet  to  be  proved. 
A  citation  of  the  foregoing  varieties  proves  how  well 
Mr.  Pockett's  efforts  have  been  rewarded,  yet  he  says 
in  "striving  to  raise  what  can  be  growri  successfully, 
progress  appears  very  slow  in  practice  when  ideal  types 
are  fixed  in  the  memory." 

Mr.  Pockett  contributes  the  following  remarks  on 
methods  of  culture  in  his  countr}r,  which  may  also,  in 
part,  be  instructive  and  of  assistance  to  growers  here 
who  reside  in  States  where  climatic  conditions  are 
somewhat  similar: 

"In  the  year  1884  the  Chrysanthemum  was  brought 
prominently  before  the  Melbourne  public  during  the 
Chrysanthemum  show  of  the  Horticultural  Improve- 
ment Society.  This  exceeded  all  expectations  and  may 
be  claimed  as  the  first  time  that  large  blooms  were 
shown  in  Australia.  The  popularity  of  the  Chrysan- 
themum soon  extended  over  all  parts  of  Australia  and 
New  Zealand.  Shows  were  held  and  much  time  was 
taken  up  by  enthusiastic  growers  in  growing  blooms  and 
specimen  plants  for  the  shows. 

"For  a  few  years,  in  many  parts  of  Australia,  the 
plants  were  put  in  the  open  ground  in  spring  and  very 
little  attention  was  given  until  February,  then  the 
growths  would  be  reduced  to  about  six  or  nine  shoots; 


CHRYSANTHEMUMS      IN     AUSTRALIA 


119 


each  shoot  was  allowed  to  carry  one  bud,  and  by  the  aid 
of  a  little  liquid  manure  and  the  reducing  of  all  side 


Fig.    27 — CHRYSANTHEMUMS    AT    THE    MALVERN 
GARDENS,   VICTORIA,   AUSTRALIA 

buds  and  growths,  flowers  could  be  grown  for  exhibition. 
But  competition  soon  proved  that  to  be  successful  more 
attention  was  necessary,  and  with  the  aid  of  calico 


120  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

during  the  time  the  flowers  were  expanding,  or  growing 
the  plants  in  pots,  and  putting  them  under  glass  or 
calico  coverings  during  the  flowering  period,  there  was 
a  better  chance  of  winning  prizes.  Still,  many  odd 
blooms  are  yet  cut  in  the  open  ground  and  set  up 
for  competition  with  good  results.  The  illustration 
(Fig.  27)  is  from  a  photograph  of  plants  grown  and 
flowered  in  the  open.  It  was  taken  after  a  soaking  rain 
and  is  not  a  fair  example  of  them  at  their  best. 

"Of  special  interest  is  the  way  the  Japanese  varie- 
ties are  now  grown  here  for  exhibition.  Some  of  the 
most  successful  exhibitors,  especially  in  the  cooler  parts 
of  Australia,  grow  and  flower  their  plants  in  pots,  much 
in  the  same  way  as  they  are  treated  in  England;  only 
many  growers  here  have  a  light  framework  covered  with 
calico  instead  of  glass.  The  plants  are  put  under  cover 
when  the  petals  show  color.  The  pot  grown  bloom  is 
usually  better  finished.  Ten-inch  pots  are  generally 
used  and  the  plants  allowed  to  carry  one,  two  or  three 
blooms.  The  majority  of  growers  for  exhibition  are 
amateurs  and  depend  solely  on  beds  made  of  ordinary 
soil.  Some  have  retentive  soil,  while  others  have  almost 
pure  sand.  A  rather  free  loamy  soil  is  preferred. 
The  bed  is  simply  made  by  trenching  the  ground  about 
eighteen  inches  deep.  If  the  land  be  flat  the  bed  is 
raised  about  one  foot  above  the  ordinary  level  and  the 
subsoil  drained  with  agricultural  pipes  or  other  suitable 
drainage  material. 

"Plants  are  put  out  in  September  or  October  about 
three  feet  by  two  feet  apart.  Each  plant  is  allowed  to 
carry  three  shoots.  Very  little  attention  is  given 
beyond  staking  and  removing  any  superfluous  growths 
until  February.  At  that  season  the  buds  are  selected, 
and  when  they  are  considered  to  be  safe  it  is  usual  to 
give  two  or  three  applications  of  weak  liquid  manure, 


CHRY8ANTH  KMI'MS      IN     AUSTRALIA  121 

although  some  seasons,  especially  on  rich  soil,  liquid 
manure  is  often  withheld.  The  plants  generally  carry 
three  flowers  each  and  the  greatest  care  required  is 
when  the  flowers  are  expanding.  Calico  is  the  cover- 
ing generally  used  on  the  framework  for  protecting 
the  blooms  from  rain,  heavy  dew  and  strong  sunshine. 
The  higlit  of  the  plants,  when  in  flower,  varies  from 
three  to  six  feet." 

It  sh^ld  be  stated  here  that  Australia  being  in 
the  Southern  Hemisphere,  has  its  seasons  the  reverse 
of  ours,  bringing  Christmas  day  there  in  our  mid- 
summer. 


CHAPTER    XVIII 
Insect  Pests  and  Diseases 

Incessant  watchfulness  must  be  the  rule  in  order 
to,  as  far  as  possible,  keep  the  plants  from  suffering 
injury  through  attacks  of  insects  or  diseases.  It  is 
almost  impossible  to  avoid  some  of  these  visitations, 
but  others,  and  these  mostly  of  the  worst  type,  are  often 
resultant  from  neglect  to  maintain  proper  atmospheric 
conditions. 

INSECTS 

Aphis,  or  Fly,  both  green  and  black,  is  with  us 
always,  more  or  less,  from  the  time  the  cutting  is 
struck  until  the  flower  expands.  At  whatever  time 
aphis  appears  proceed  at  once  to  take  measures  of 
extermination.  Upon  young  plants  it  can  easily  be 
killed  by  sprinkling  them  with  tobacco  dust,  but  after 
they  are  planted  and  growing  in  permanent  quarters 
fumigation  must  be  resorted  to,  using  whatever  fancy 
may  dictate,  with  the  choice  between  tobacco  stems  or 
dust,  or  sundry  preparations  which  have  nicotine  for 
their  chief  component.  It  is  generally  in  spring  and 
fall  when  aphis  is  most  prevalent.  If  the  pest  be  thor- 
oughly eradicated  at  planting  time  and  the  plants  start 
quickly  into  healthy  growth  they  will  be  comparatively 
immune  for  many  weeks,  but  the  coming  of  autumn 
days  generally  brings  fly  again.  Every  effort  should  be 
made  to  eradicate  it  completely  before  any  buds  show 
color,  as  from  that  time  all  fumigation  must  cease. 
Should  fly  appear  upon  the  buds  or  opening  blooms, 
however,  it  must  be  cleaned  out,  or  ruination  of  the 


IXSECT     PESTS     AND     DISEASES  123 

flower  will  result.  A  most  effectual  method  is  to  take 
a  sheet  of  prepared  tobacco  paper — like  aphis  punk  or 
nicofume — and  tie  it  around  the  stem  under,  but  close 
up  to  the  bud  or  bloom.  The  fumes  of  nicotine  slowly 
evaporating  will  kill  every  fly  and  save  a  flower  that 
otherwise  would  be  utterly  ruined. 

Red  Spider  and  Thrips  do  not  ordinarily  infest 
Chrysanthemums  and  -the  grower  is  more  or  less  to 
blame  s%mld  they  appear.  They  have  to  be  reckoned 
with,  however,  as  once  let  them  get  the  upper  hand 
they  will  not  be  exterminated  till  they  have  left  serious 
and  lasting  evidence  of  their  presence.  For  these, 
"prevention  is  better  than  cure,"  and  the  best  pre- 
ventive is  water.  Spray  thoroughly  on  all  proper  occa- 
sions, wetting  the  under  as  well  as  the  upper  surfaces 
of  the  leaves,  and  later,  when  artificial  heat  is  turned 
on,  damp  down  the  house,  if  necessary,  to  counteract  the 
hot,  dry  atmosphere  which  is  generally  responsible  for 
the  appearance  of  these  pests. 

Should  the  necessity  for  remedial  measures  arise, 
water,  already  advised  for  the  first  line  of  defense,  must 
also  be  the  chief  source  of  attack,  supplemented  for 
red  spider  with  an  application  of  sulphur  to  the  hot 
water  or  steam  pipes.  Thrips  can  be  exterminated  by 
fumigating  with  tobacco.  If  the  attack  be  a  bad  one, 
fumigate  moderately  for  two  or  three  successive  nights 
in  preference  to  doing  it  very  strong  in  the  attempt  to 
destroy  the  pest  at  once.  For  the  benefit  of  the  inex- 
perienced it  is  well  to  state  that  red  spider  and  thrips 
are  scarcely  visible  to  the  naked  eye,  but  their  presence 
is  soon  manifested  in  discoloration  of  the  leaves  by  the 
appearance  of  whitish  spots  and  patches  from  which 
the  pests  have  sucked  the  juices  of  the  leaf.  In  the 
case  of  red  spider  a  very  fine  web  will  be  found  on  the 
under  and  sometimes  the  upper  leaf  surfaces.  Because 


THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

of  their  apparent  insignificance  do  not  think  they  can 
be  trifled  with,  for  they  soon  attain  to  millions  in 
numbers  and  with  a  capacity  for  mischief  beyond 
power  of  control  if  they  are  once  allowed  to  get  the 
upper  hand. 

Caterpillars  and  Grasshoppers  are  a  voracious  host 
in  their  season  and  must  be  combated  accordingly. 
Some  seasons  they  are  a  terrible  pest.  When  butter- 
flies are  numerous  there  will  be  a  large  succession  of 
caterpillars  as  a  consequence.  Ordinarily  they  can  be 
disposed  of  by  watchfulness  and  hand  picking,  but  if  the 
pests  should  be  beyond  this  means  of  control,  recourse 
must  be  had  to  spraying  with  arsenate  of  lead  or  any 
suitable  preparation  that  is  poisonous  to  chewing 
insects. 

One  of  the  worst  of  the  caterpillar  tribe  is  that 
commonly  called  the  army  worm.  It  is  a  nocturnal 
feeder,  and,  descending  to  the  ground,  hides  in  the  soil 
during  the  day.  It  is  of  a  dark  color,  in  fact,  nearly  the 
color  of  the  earth  in  which  it  hides.  Coming  forth  at 
night  it  quickly  ascends  the  plant  and  feeds  upon  the 
tender  growing  tip.  When  the  presence  of  this  pest  is 
suspected  a  visit  to  the  plants  at  night  will  result  in 
its  capture,  if  there. 

Large  white  or  gray  grubs  often  infest  the  soil. 
They  are  sometimes  called  cutworms  because  they  cut 
asunder  the  young  plant  or  eat  the  roots,  in  conse- 
quence of  which  it  dies.  These  grubs  are  the  larval 
stage  of  certain  beetles  and  are  more  apt  to  be  numerous 

o  J- 

in  soil  that  has  lain  dormant — as  pasture  or  grassland — 
for  a  number  of  years,  so  that  in  making  a  compost  of 
sod  the  observant  grower  will  be  on  the  lookout  for 
this  pest.  When  plants  show  signs  of  wilting  examine 
them  at  the  roots  and  if  the  grub  in  question  be  present 
it  can  easily  be  destroyed.  Neglect  to  do  this  will 


IXSECT     PESTS    AND    DISEASES  125 

result  in  its  traveling  to  the  next  plant,  which  will  be 
similarly  destroyed. 

Hardly  a  year  passes  but  some  new  pest  appears 
to  contribute  its  mite  to  the  grower's  burden  of  trouble. 
Last  year  brought  two  of  them,  both  new  to  the  writer. 
In  one  case  just  as  the  buds  were  unfolding  it  was 
noticed  upon  many  of  them  something  had  eaten  a 
small  portion  of  the  petals  and  apparently  small  frag- 
ments of^the  meal  lay  loose  upon  the  flower.  Closer 
examination  revealed  the  fact  that  the  pest  was  a  tiny 
caterpillar  only  about  one-eighth  of  an  inch  in  length 
and  of  a  light  silvery  gray  color.  Professor  J.  B.  Smith, 
to  whom  specimens  were  submitted,  replied:  "The 
caterpillar  at  fault  is  a  little  span  worm  which  has 
never  before  been  accused  of  eating  Chrysanthemums." 
It  was  eating  them  last  year  and  in  a  most  insidious 
manner.  Not  alone  was  it  difficult  to  detect  on  account  of 
its  diminutiveness,  but  it  covered  itself  with,  and,  when 
moving,  carried  upon  its  back  chewed  fragments  of  the 
petals  it  was  feeding  on,  thus  rendering  its  detection 
and  destruction  still  more  difficult.  At  this  stage  of 
flower  development  no  remedies  could  be  applied  with- 
out risk  of  further  damage  and  the  only  remedy  was 
hand  picking — a  tedious  operation  calling  for  a  minute 
examination  of  every  flower. 

The  other  pest  the  writer  had.no  opportunity  of 
examining,  but,  as  reported,  it  was  most  destructive. 
The  insect  belonged  to  the  family  of  borers,  and,  having 
bored  its  way  into  the  stem,  proceeded  upward,  eating 
out  the  entire  center,  or  core,  of  the  stem,  completely 
destroying  the  plant.  Its  presence  could  only  be  de- 
tected by  the  wilting  of  the  plant  when  it  had  been 
injured  to  a  degree  beyond  reparation  or  possible  re- 
covery, and  many  plants  were  totally  ruined.  It  is 
hard  to  fight  a  hidden  foe  ensconced  within  the  heart 


126  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

of  the  victim,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  this  borer  will  not 
become  one  of  the  regular  annual  pests. 

Grasshoppers  are  with  us  every  year,  varying  in 
numbers,  but  always  voracious.  They  make  their  way 
in  through  the  open  ventilators,  and  finding  young 
Chrysanthemum  a  tasty  morsel  are  content  to  remain, 
but  war  must  be  waged  against  them.  The  only  effectual 
way  seems  to  be  catching  them  by  hand,  a  lively  occupa- 
tion, it  would  seem,  and  certainly  so  if  pursued  at  mid- 
day. Go  round  in  the  early  morning  hours,  however, 
before  they  have  felt  the  warmth  of  the  day,  and  it  is 
then  tolerably  easy  to  catch  and  destroy  them  before 
they  can  make  a  flying  leap  to  parts  unknown. 

Other  Bugs. — Several  insects  that  come  into  the 
category  usually  designated  as  bugs  are  inimical  to  the 
welfare  of  Chrysanthemums.  One  of  the  worst  offend- 
ers is  a  small  winged  beetle  or  fly  usually  called  "the 
tarnished  plant  bug."  It  infests  a  variety  of  plants 
in  the  open  air  and  if  it  finds  its  way  into  the  Chrys^n- 
themum  house  it  quickly  proceeds  to  make  trouble  in 
large  doses  unless  a  speedy  check  is  put  upon  its  inten- 
tions. The  full  grown  adult  is  of  a  yellowish  brown 
color  and  not  quite  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  length.  In 
addition  to  finding  safety  in  flight  it  can  also  run  fast 
and  will  often  hide  upon  the  plant  when  one  is  hunting 
it.  Its  mouth  is  armed  with  a  pair  of  sharp  piercers 
which  it  thrusts  into  the  stem  of  the  plant,  sucking 
therefrom  the  sap,  and,  in  consequence,  plants  that  are 
attacked  soon  show  the  result  in  a  drooping  of  the 
young  growing  tip  or  the  growth  becomes  otherwise 
distorted.  It  also  lays  eggs  while  feeding,  and  these 
hatch  upon  the  plant,  the  young  commencing  to  feed 
in  the  same  way,  but  the  young  can  be  destroyed  before 
their  wings  form.  The  only  way  to  combat  the  adults 
is  by  diligent  searching  and  catching  them  by  hand 


INSECT     PESTS    AND    DISEASES  127 

before  they  take  flight.  In  the  early  morning  hours 
they  can  be  most  easily  caught,  being  then  somewhat 
sluggish.  One  thing  is  certain,  it  is  a  pest  that  cannot 
be  trifled  with,  or  it  will  do  a  vast  amount  of  harm, 
resulting  in  complete  deformity  of  the  plant's  growth. 

A  somewhat  similar  bug  is  often  around  when 
the  flowers  are  opening,  and  it  leaves  its  dirty  trail 
wherever  it  goes,  especially  so  upon  white  flowers,  whose 
petals  sho%  black  spots  where  it  is  present.  It,  too, 
must  be  hunted  out  and  destroyed — a  by  no  means 
simple  task — for  when  discovered  it  usually  "plays 
possum,"  and,  dropping  down  upon  the  plant,  or  hiding 
in  the  flower  itself,  keeps  perfectly  still,  shamming 
death. 

Among  the  hosts  of  insects  there  is  one,  at  least, 
to  befriend  the  grower,  and  would  that  it  came  in  larger 
numbers.  This  is  the  lady  bug  or  lady  bird,  and 
doubtless  so  familiar  to  all  as  to  need  no  description,  at 
least  in  its  adult  stage  with  its  shining  red  and  black 
spotted  jacket.  Before  it  reaches  this  stage  of  develop- 
ment, however,  it  is  a  friend  and  feeds  freely  upon  such 
aphides  as  it  can  find  upon  the  plants.  In  the  grub 
stage  it  has  an  elongated,  flattish  body  of  a  leaden  or 
slaty  color,  and  it  crawls  about  the  plant  searching 
for  food,  and,  when  finding  a  colony  of  a.phides,  makes 
short  work  of  them.  It  feeds  continuously  till  it 
changes  into  a  chrysalis,  when  it  remains  gummed  to 
the  plant  until  its  metamorphosis  is  completed  into  a 
winged  adult. 

The  Corythuca  Gossypi  is  an  insect  common  in  the 
cotton  growing  States  and  a  pest  to  be  dreaded  by  those 
who  grow  Chrysanthemums  there.  Although  a  few 
instances  have  been  recorded  of  its  appearance  in  Xorth- 
ern  greenhouses  the  visitations  so  far  have  been  rare. 
In  view  of  what  has  happened  in  the  past  such  a  con- 


128  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

tingency  might  arise  in  which  this  insect  would  have 
to  be  reckoned  with.  Being  forewarned  we  xcan  also 
be  forearmed.  It  is  thus  described  by  a  Southern, 
grower:  "The  body  of  the  corythuca  is  about  the  size 
of  a  black  aphis,  in  color  a  dirty  gray,  with  wings  that 
stand  out,  giving  it  the  appearance  of  a  small,  woolly 
sheep.  It  feeds  altogether  on  the  under  side  of  the 
leaf,  congregating  in  colonies  like  the  red  spider,  but 
minus  the  web  protection.  When  the  plant  is  shaken 
it  flies  to  the  ground  but  soon  finds  its  way  back  to  the 
stem  of  the  plant,  and,  ascending  to  a  leaf,  starts  at 
once  the  formation  of-  a  new  colony.  If  ever  allowed 
to  get  the  upper  hand  it  means  ruination  of  the  plants. 
The  touch  of  kerosene  proves  certain  death  to  this 
insect,  therefore  a  thorough  spraying  of  the  under  sides 
of  the  leaves  with  a  weak  solution  of  kerosene  emulsion 
is  a  sure  means  of  exterminating  the  pest." 

FUNGOUS    DISEASES 

There  are  several  of  these  that  have  to  be  reckoned 
with,  but,  unlike  insect  pests,  good  cultivation  goes  a 
long  way  toward  conferring  immunity  from  them.  At 
times,  however,  they  will  appear,  although  in  a  general 
way  there  is  usually  some  contributing  cause  underlying 
the  attack  resultant  from  errors  of  treatment  or  of 
neglect.  The  worst  of  these  is  that  known  as 

Rust. — This  is  so  called  because  the  leaves  develop 
numerous  pustules  which,  bursting,  scatter  a  fine  rusty 
dust;  in  reality,  the  spores  of  the  disease  all  over  the 
leaves,  beside  which  the  leaves  are  badly  discolored  and 
disfigured  by  brown  patches  where  the  pustules  formed. 
This  disease  gave  growers  great  concern  when  it  first 
appeared,  and  for  a  time  it  was  thought  it  would  exter- 
minate the  Chrysanthemum,  but  now  that  we  have 
come  to  a  proper  understanding  of  its  nature  and 


IXSECT     PESTS     AND     DISEASES  129 

methods  of  attack,  it  is  not  greatly  feared.  It  is  not, 
however,  a  thing  to  be  tolerated  and  remedial  measures 
should  always  be  put  in  force  upon  its  appearance.  This 
disease  first  appeared  in  England  in  1895,  in  the  fol- 
lowing year  it  appeared  in  Massachusetts,  and  during 
the  next  few  years  hardly  a  collection  existed  in  which 
it  was  not  present. 

The  plant  pathologists,  however,  came  to  the 
rescue,  explained  its  nature,  suggested  methods  of 
combat  and  ways  to  avoid  attack,  and,  forearmed  with 
knowledge,  we  need  no  longer  be  seriously  alarmed 
should  an  outbreak  suddenly  appear.  There  are  two 
periods  of  the  year  when  rust,  if  present,  breaks  out 
in  virulent  form.  One  of  these  times  is  during  August 
or  early  September.  Conditions  that  favor  attack  are 
weak  or  overcrowded  plants,  with  insufficient  ventila- 
tion and  excessive  moisture,  especially  at  night.  Strong 
plants  are  resistant,  and  if  spraying  is  performed  early 
so  that  the  leaves  dry  by  night,  this  also  is  helpful.  It 
also,  appears  in  spring  about  the  time  of  propagating 
young  stock,  this  attack,  in  all  probability,  resulting 
from  spores  that  fell  from  the  old  plants  the  previous 
summer,  found  lodgment  in  the  soil  and  conditions 
congenial  to  renewed  energy  when  the  plants  com- 
menced their  spring  growth. 

When  an  attack  appears  no  time  should  be  lost 
in  applying  remedial  measures.  If  only  a  few  leaves 
are  infected  they  may  be  picked  off  and  burned.  The 
plants  should  then  be  sprayed  with  some  antidote,  of 
which  there  are  several,  but  possibly  none  more  effectual 
than  sulphide  of  potassium  or  liver  of  sulphur.  It 
is  a  hard  stonelike  substance  easily  obtainable  from 
any  large  wholesale  drug  store.  It  dissolves  readily 
in  cold  water  and  may  be  used  with  perfect  safety  in 
the  proportion  of  one  ounce  dissolved  in  two  gallons 


130  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

of  water.  The  plants  should  be  sprayed  thoroughly, 
especially  upon  the  under  surfaces  of  the  leaves,  and, 
if  the  young  stock  it  is  proposed  to  propagate  be  known 
to  be  infected,  the  cuttings  may  be  immersed  in  a 
slightly  weaker  solution  previous  to  inserting  them  in 
the  sand.  A  diligent  application  of  this  remedy  weekly 
to  the  growing  plants,  at  the  same  time  maintaining 
correct  atmospheric  conditions,  will  usually  overcome 
the  attack  and  enable  the  cultivator  to  entirely  extir- 
pate the  disease.  When  fresh  stock  is  purchased  always 
examine  the  young  plants  carefully  for  evidences  of 
rust,  as  it  is  often  unwittingly  introduced  in  this  way, 
and,  if  unobserved,  may  taint  the  whole  collection. 

Professor  G.  Massee,  an  eminent  English  author- 
ity, describes  the  Chrysanthemum  rust  as  follows: 

"This  very  destructive  parasite  belongs  to  a  group 
of  fungi  that  have  a  bad  record  from  the  farmer's  and 
horticulturist's  standpoint.  In  its  life  history  it  pro- 
duces two  forms  of  fruit.  The  form  of  fruit  in 
evidence  during  the  visible  attack  is  what  is  termed 
the  uredo  stage  or  summer  form  of  fruit.  The  use  of 
this  form  of  fruit  is  to  enable  the  fungus  to  extend  its 
range  of  distribution  as  widely  and  quickly  as  possible. 
If  a  small  portion  of  the  powder  contained  in  one  of 
the  rust  colored  pustules  on  a  leaf  be  examined  under 
tEe  microscope  it  is  found  to  consist  of  myriads  of  pale 
brown,  minutely  warted,  roundish  cells  or  spores,  each 
of  which  is  capable  of  germinating  the  moment  it  is 
mature.  When  the  disease  has  once  appeared  its  spread 
is  rapid.  The  spores  are  produced  in  rapid  succession; 
as  fast  as  they  become  ripe  they  fall  and  are  carried 
by  wind,  watering,  syringing  or  even  upon  the  clothes 
of  the  grower  from  one  plant  to  another.  Every  spore 
that  happens  to  alight  upon  the  surface  of  a  damp 
Chrysanthemum  leaf  germinates  quickly,  pierces  the 


INSECT    PESTS    AND    DISEASES  131 

tissues  of  the  leaf,  and  in  about  one  week's  time  pro- 
duces another  crop  of  ripe  spores  ready  to*  continue  the 
work  of  extending  the  disease.  This  explains  the 
rapid  manner  in  which  the  disease  spreads  during  the 
uredo  stage. 

"Later  in  the  season,  when  the  grower  has  lost  all 
interest  in  the  diseased  plants,  the  same  mycelium  of 
the  fungus  which,  during  the  earlier  part  of  the  season, 
has  bees  producing  myriads  of  summer  spores,  now 
gives  origin  to  an  entirely  different  form  of  fruit  called 
'teleutospores,'  or  winter  spores.  These  differ  in«  form 
from  the  uredo  or  summer  spores  in  being  formed  of 
two  cells,  and  more  especially  in  the  fact  that  the 
winter  spores  will  not  germinate  and  grow  until  after 
a  period  of  rest.  They  remain  in  a  quiescent  state 
until  the  following  spring,  when  they  germinate  and 
produce  minute  spores,  some  of  which  find  their  way 
on  to  the  Chrysanthemum  leaves,  germinate,  enter  the 
tissues  of  the  leaf  and  in  a  short  time  give  origin  to 
the  uredo  or  summer  condition  of  the  fungus.  The 
continuance  of  the  disease,  therefore,  is  entirely  the 
result  of  plants  becoming  inoculated  by  the  resting 
spores  produced  by  the  fungus  the  previous  year.  Too 
much  care  cannot  be  exercised  in  collecting  and  burning 
all  diseased  leaves.  A  single  dead  leaf  bearing  teleuto- 
spores  is  more  than  sufficient  to  secure  a  crop  the  fol- 
lowing season.  Potassium  sulphide  is  an  excellent 
preventive,  as  this  solution  destroys  germinating  spores 
before  they  pierce  the  cuticle  and  enter  the  tissues  of 
the  leaf."" 

Professor  Arthur  of  the  Indiana  Experiment 
Station  says :  "A  circumstance  much  in  the  cultiva- 
tor's favor  is  the  propagation  of  the  disease  without  the 
formation  of  the  teleutospores.  Not  only  does  this 
render  the  disease  far  less  persistent,  but,  without  doubt. 


132  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

indicates  that  it  is  less  vigorous  in  its  attacks.  In 
general,  when  a  rust  is  confined  to  the  uredo  forms 
for  a  number  of  generations,  its  vitality  is  much  reduced 
and  also  its  power  of  injuring  the  crops/' 

This  probably  explains  the  reason  why  growers 
have  been  able  to  gain  the  upper  hand,  as  by  prompt 
attack  and  by  timely  removal  of  diseased  parts,  they 
have,  in  large  degree,  prevented  the  reaching  of  the 
teleutospore  stage.  From  the  foregoing  will  be  appar- 
ent to  those  who  grow  Chrysanthemums  in  the  open  air 
the  desirability  of  not  again  planting  Chrysanthemums 
upon  the  same  spot  for  two-  or  three  years  if  they  have 
been  attacked  with  rust,  since  the  teleutospores  are 
almost  sure  to  be  present  in  the  ground. 

Leaf  Spot  is  the  name  commonly  given  to  another 
disease  undoubtedly  of  a  fungous  character,  and  one 
hard  to  combat  when  it  makes  its  appearance.  Pre- 
vention, however,  is  easily  possible,  as  it  is  a  condition 
of  ill  health  arising  almost  wholly  from  causes  over 
which  the  grower  has  control.  Its  appearance  is  de- 
noted by  small  spots  or  patches  of  a  brownish  or  black 
color  which  quickly  spread,  and  are  so  rapidly  conta- 
gious that  a  continuance  of  conditions  congenial  to  its 
growth  will  soon  result  in  its  spreading  furiously  till 
the  plants  are  completely  denuded  of  leaves.  They 
quickly  die  and  dry  up  when  once  infected.  This  dis- 
ease is  engendered  by  overcrowding  and  consequent 
inability  of  the  air  to  circulate  freely  among  the 
plants.  Spraying  with  sulphide  of  potassium  or  with 
Bordeaux  mixture  may  be  resorted  to,  but  these  reme- 
dies are  only  slightly  deterrent;  the  only  effectual  way 
is  to  correct  the  conditions  that  give  rise*  to  the  attack. 
For  example,  leaf  spot  used  to  cause  some  trouble 
in  some  benches  of  Chrysanthemums  that  were  six  feet 
in  width,  and  the  initial  attack  always  began  upon  the 


INSECT     PESTS     AND     DISEASES  133 

plants  in  the  center  of  the  bench.  Individually,  the 
plants  were  not  too  close,  but  about  the  time  they  at- 
tained to  the  maximum  of  growth,  those  in  the  center 
were  naturally  confined  and  little  air  reached  them, 
except  overhead.  After  the  benches  were  reduced  in 
width  to  four  feet  the  trouble  did  not  reappear,  clearly 
showing  the  disease  was  brought  on  by  congestion  and 
an  inability  of  the  leaves  of  the  plants  in  the  inner 
rows  to^properly  perform  their  functions.  The  remedy 
lies,  therefore,  in  a  studied  avoidance  of  anything  that 
will  tend  to  overcrowd  or  prevent  a  free  circulation 
of  air  among  the  plants  in  all  stages  of  growth. 

Stem  Rot  is  another  fungous  trouble,  and,  as  the 
name  denotes,  the  rotting  of  the  stem  brings  about  the 
death  of  the  plants.  Its  attack  is  denoted  by  a  droop- 
ing of  the  leaves  of  the  entire  plant  as  though  it 
needed  water.  In  reality,  the  plant  does  need  water, 
but  Is  unable  to  take  it  up  through  the  usual  channels, 
which  have  become  filled  up  by  the  growth  of  a  fungus 
so  that  water  cannot  pass  up  to  sustain  the  plant. 
Eventually  the  cells  of  the  plant  tissue  become  filled 
with  fungous  growth,  and  death  soon  ensues.  An  ex- 
amination of  an  affected  plant  will  show  at,  or  just 
above  the  ground  line,  a  white  mold  encircling  the 
stem,  but  the  source  of  the  first  attack  is  in  the  soil. 
With  the  decay  of  the  stem  and  the  maturity  of  the 
fungous  growth,  spores  are  formed  which  again  germi- 
nate and  grow,  if  a  suitable  medium  be  at  hand.  Little 
can  be  done  to  combat  an  attack,  but  it  is  most  desirable 
to  destroy  all  plants  affected,  and  especially  not  to  use 
the  soil  for  a  similar  crop,  as  that  is  the  source  of 
infection.  The  use  of  rank  manure  in  making  the 
compost  may  bring  on  an  attack  of  stem  rot,  as  decaying 
vegetable  matter  is  usually  full  of  this  type  of  fungus. 
Plants  growing  in  the  open  ground,  and  previously 


134  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

healthy,  have  become  badly  infected  with  stem  rot 
apparently  through  the  surface  of  the  ground  having 
been  mulched  with  comparatively  fresh  stable  manure. 
Lime  is  a  good  corrective,  freely  mixed  in  the  soil,  but 
safety  lies  only  in  avoiding  the  conditions  known  to 
favor  the  development  of  the  disease. 

Mildew  sometimes  manifests  itself.  It  needs  no 
description,  as  almost  everyone  is  familiar  with  the  white, 
powdery  mold  upon  the  leaves  denoting  the  presence 
of  this  fungus.  A  check  to  the  plants,  an  excess  of 
atmospheric  moisture,  or  too  low  a  temperature,  are  the 
most  common  causes  of  its  attack.  No  time  should  be 
lost  in  the  application  of  remedies, '  as  if  allowed  to 
go  unchecked  for  a  few  days  it  spreads  rapidly  over 
the  foliage,  to  its  great  detriment.  Sulphur  applied 
direct,  or  painted  upon  the  heating  pipes,  is  the  usual 
remedy,  but  the  sulphide  of  potassium,  as  before  recom- 
mended, is  also  a  very  good  antidote. 

Although  fungous  diseases  have  been  treated  at 
some  length,  the  grower  should  ever  bear  in  mind  the 
fact  that  they  are  all  conditional;  that  the  Chrysan- 
themum is  naturally  a  healthy,  easily  grown  plant. 
Insect  pests  we  cannot  a-void,  but  must  studiously  keep 
under  control.  All  efforts,  however,  along  the  lines  of 
proper  cultivation  resulting  in  vigorous,  healthy  stock, 
are  preventive  measures  of  the  best  kind,  and,  in  tho 
main,  carry  with  them  a  more  or  less  complete  immu- 
nity from  disease. 


CHAPTER   XIX 

Classification  and  Selection  of   Varieties  for  Special 
Purposes  - 

Many  years  of  cultivation  and  the  subsequent  de- 
velopment of  divergent  types,  with  variations  so  marked 
and,  in  some  cases,  so  peculiar  as  to  make  it  difficult  of 
belief  that  all  had  their  origin  in  single-flowered,  daisy- 
like  ancestors,  have  led  to  the  necessity  for,  and  the 
adoption  of,  certain  methods  of  classification.  The 
basis  of  such  classification  has  been  to  gather  together 
in  groups,  or  classes,  varieties  having  more  or  less  of 
resemblance  in  form  or  type  of  flower.  The  manner 
in  which  these  divergent  forms  sprang  up  and  gave 
birth,  as  it  were,  to  the  varying  types  that  now  charac- 
terize the  present  day  Chrysanthemum,  is  thus  described 
by  that  eminent  botanist,  the  Rev.  G.  Henslow: 

"The  transformations  in  the  corolla  are  brought 
about  by  the  two  principles  of  hypertrophy  and  atrophy, 
both  conspiring  to  effect  the  remarkable  changes.  Thus 
while  the  corolla  enlarges,  to  change  from  a  five-toothed 
minute  disc-floret  into  a  broad,  flat-petaled  ray-floret, 
two  petals  are  gradually  dwarfed  and  finally  disappear, 
while  a  corresponding  atrophy  takes  place  in  the  essen- 
tial organs,  for  the  stamens  are  totally  arrested  and 
the  pistil  changes  its  form — the  style-arms  becoming 
much  reduced  in  size.  The  tubular  condition  of  the 
corolla  may  remain  while  the  tube  itself  elongates 
without  any,  or  much,  splitting;  hence  the  quilled  or 
tasseled  forms  are  arrived  at,  both  representing  a  more 
or  less  arrested  stage  in  the  process  of  change  into 


THE  CHRYSANTHEMUM 


Fig.  28 — CHRYSANTHEMUM  CHELTONI 

ray-florets.  The  ligulate  petal  may  be  broad,  which 
gives  rise  to  the  incurved  or  recurved  ball-like  forms; 
or  it  may  be  greatly  elongated  and  narrow — whence 


CLASSIFICATION     AND     SELECTION  137 


Fig.   29 — CHRYSANTHEMUM  SOLEIL  D'OCTOBRE 

come  the  Japanese  linear-petaled  forms.  Again,  it  may 
be  expanded  at  the  mouth  or  tip  and  the  teeth  multi- 
plied, giving  rise  to  the  trumpet-like,  so-called  Dragon 


crq 


CLASSIFICATION     AND     SELECTION  139 


Fi.iT.     ;>>1 — CHRYSANTHEMUM    MRS.    HENRY    ROBINSON 

Chrysanthemums.     Lastly,   if   the   disc-florets   enlarge, 
but  remain  more  or  less  tubular,  while  the  ray-florets 


140  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

retain  their  distinctive  character,  the  Anemone  form 
of  Chrysanthemum  is  secured." 

Present  day  classification,  therefore,  is  based  upon 
the  peculiarities  of  petalage  and  the  distinctive  forms 
they  give  to  the  flower,  all  of  which  seem  simple 
enough.  It  would  be,  were  all  the  peculiarities  mark- 
edly defined,  but  there  at  once  confront  us  varieties 
of  intermediate  type  with  characteristics  pertaining 
to  more  than  one  class,  and  with  this  comes  the  dif- 
ficulty of  making  the  classes  absolute  and  defining 
where  these  intermediate  types  strictly  belong — a  con- 
dition that  will  always  continue  by  reason  of  the 
inherent  variability  of  the  flower.  In  American  gar- 
dens the  Japanese  types  largely  predominate;  in  fact, 
to  the  almost  entire  exclusion  of  other  interesting  and 
hardly  less  beautiful  types  which,  with  European  grow- 
ers, find  considerable  favor  and  give  the  charm  of 
variety  to  their  displays  and  exhibitions. 

The  classification  as  adopted  and  observed  by  the 
National  Chrysanthemum  Society  of  England  is  fol- 
lowed here,  with  a  citation  of  the  distinguishing  char- 
acteristics of  form  and  petalage  constituting  the  basis 
of  arrangement. 

Section  1. — Incurved  varieties. 

These  are  also  sometimes  called  Chinese  varieties. 
The  class  has  never  found  the  favor,  nor  attained  the 
prominence  here  that  it  has  with  European  growers. 
Substantial  prize  offers  at  some  of  the  leading  exhi- 
bitions have  also  failed  to  bring  out  any  good  repre- 
sentation of  the  class.  The  varieties  placed  in  this 
class  all  have  strap-shaped  florets  or  petals  which  curve 
regularly  inward,  forming  a  more  or  less  solid  bloom 
of  even  outline  and  almost  spherical.  Any  irregularity 
of  form  or  failure  to  develop  to  a  high,  perfect,  well- 


CLASSIFICATION     AND     SELECTION  141 

filled  center  is  considered  a  defect.  In  all  probability 
the  formal  stiffness  characterizing  the  type  has  militated 
against  its  popularity  in  America,  but  the  class  is 
always  well  represented  at  the  English  exhibitions. 
One  variety,  however,  belonging  in  this  class  that  at- 
tained great  prominence,  both  as  an  exhibition  and  a 
commercial  flower,  is  Major  Bonnaffon.  Other  examples 
are:  Empress  of  India,  Lord  Alcester,  W.  Higgs, 
Charles  CtfHis,  Golden  Empress,  Lady  Isabel,  Mrs. 
H.  J.  Jones,  Mrs.  W.  Higgs  and  Mme.  Lucie  Faure. 

Section  2. — Japanese  varieties. 

The  progenitors  of  this  class  were  regarded  with 
disfavor  when  first  introduced  from  the  Orient,  on 
account  of  their  loose,  ragged  form,  but  the  evolution 
of  the  type  has  given  us  a  great  class  which,  more  than 
any  other,  has  won  for  the  Chrysanthemum  its  present 
day  popularity. 

The  characteristics  of  the  class  are  large  flowers, 
having,  sometimes,  long  petals  loosely  arranged  and 
intertwined  into  a  high  globular  flower,  as  in  Cheltoni 
(Fig.  28)  or  Ben  Wells.  In  other  varieties  the  petals 
are  long,  broad,  reflexed  and  dependent,  as  in  F.  S. 
Vallis  or  Soleil  d'Octobre  (Fig.  29),  and  again  there 
are  varieties  of  great  size  whose  petals  incurve,  building 
up  an  enormous  symmetrical  flower,  as  in  Wm.  Duck- 
ham  (Fig.  30),  and  still  others  that  neither  fully 
incurve  nor  reflex,  except  in  slight  degree,  the  shorter 
petals  being  mostly  erect  with  slight  curvature  at  the 
tips,  as  in  Timothy  Eaton  and  Mrs.  Henry  Robinson 
(Fig.  31).  Everything  of  great  size,  in  consequence, 
goes  into  the  Japanese  class,  and  such  variability  of 
form  is  found  there  as  to  make  classification  by  form 
difficult.  It  has  been,  in  a  measure,  simplified,  by 
creating  two  classes  out  of  the  Japanese,  one  of  which  is 


142  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

Section  3. — Japanese  incurved. 

All  the  varieties  partaking  of  the  incurved  form 
belong  here.  A  typical  selection  would  include  W. 
Duckham,  Col.  D.  Appleton,  Marie  Liger,  Mrs.  G. 
Mileham,  Lady  Hopetown,  Merza,  Mrs.  Jerome  Jones 
and  Miss  Alice  Byron. 

Section  4.— Japanese  reflexed. 

Under  this  classification  come  all  varieties  whose 
petals  turn  back  horizontally  and  droop  downward 
toward  the  stem,  as  typified  by  F.  S.  Vallis,  Mrs. 
Coombes,  Mrs.  T.  W.  Pockett,  Leila  Filkins,  Harrison 
Dick,  Mrs.  W.  Duckham,  Dora  Stevens,  Lord  Salisbury 
and  many  others.  Such  variable  form  exists,  however, 
that  classification  can  only  partially  define  the  charac- 
teristics of  the  class  as  a  whole.  For  example,  the 
introduction  of  the  variety  Mrs.  Alpheus  Hardy,  some 
years  ago,  a  Chrysanthemum  having  numerous  hair- 
like  growths  upon  the  petals,  led  to  the  formation  of  a 

Hairy  Section. — The  class  has  not  attained  special 
prominence,  however,  but  these  peculiar  varieties  find 
favor  with  some  who  admire  their  quaint,  bearded 
beauty.  The  best  are :  F.  J.  Taggart,  Louis  Boehmer, 
L'Enfant  des  Deux  Mondes,  Leocadie  Gentils,  E.  M. 
Grey  and  Queen  of  Plumes. 

Section  5. — Reflexed. 

The  varieties  constituting  this  class  are  kindred 
to,  but  exactly  opposite  to  those  in  Section  1.  The 
flowers  are  of  medium  size,  full  and  high,  with  the 
petals  all  recurving  outward  from  center  to  base  of 
flower.  The  class  embraces  some  of  the  oldest  kinds 
in  cultivation,  does  not  command  much  attention,  and 


CLASSIFICATION     AND     SELECTION  143 

new  additions  are  rarely  made  to  it.  Cullingfordi,  Dr. 
Sharpe,  Christine,  Julia  Lagravere,  Emperor  of  China 
and  the  old,  sweet-violet-scented  Progne  are  examples 
that  may  be  found  today  in  gardens  in  England  where 
they  have  been  grown  for  nearly  half  a  century. 

Section  6. — Large  Anemone  varieties. 

These  are  distinguished  by  having  broad  strap- 
shaped  ray-fiorets  that  stand  out  horizontally,  forming, 
as  it  were,  a  collar  to  the  center  of  the  flower,  which 
is  formed  of  numerous  tiny  disc-florets  closely  arranged 
in  a  semi-spherical,  cushion-like  center.  A  few  of  the 
best  are :  Acquisition,  Fleure  de  Marie,  Gladys  Spauld- 
ing,  Gluck,  Miss  Annie  Low,  Mrs.  C.  J.  Salter,  Garza 
and  Thorpe,  Jr. 

Section  7. — Japanese  Anemones. 

The  varieties  classified  under  this  head  have  the 
same  closely-quilled  center  as  those  in  the  preceding 
class,  but  the  flowers  are  often  of  great  size,  and  the 
outer  fringe  of  ray-petals  shows  much  variability  in 
form,  length,  disposition  and  arrangement.  They  may 
appear  as  long  drooping  threads  hanging  down  several 
inches,  or  be  broad  and  curiously  twisted;  in  fact,  there 
are  in  this  class  some  quaintly  pretty  kinds.  Typical 
examples  are  Beauty  of  Eynsford,  Caledonia,  Halcyon, 
James  Weston,  Lady  Temple,  Marcia  Jones  and  Zoraida. 

Section  8. — Pompon  varieties. 

These  are  undoubtedly  pure  lineal  descendants 
from  the  Chusan  Daisies  of  our  forefathers,  having  the 
same  dwarf  habit  of  growth,  with  small  leaves  and  tiny 
flowers  from  one  to  two  inches  in  width.  Interest  in 


144 


THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 


Fig.   32— THE 


CHRYSANTHEMUM  (ROBERT 
CRAIG) 


them  has  in  great  part  been  sustained  by  reason  of 
their  hardiness,  so  that  they  can  be  cultivated  in  the 
open  ground.  The  flowers  of  Pompons  vary  from  flat 
to  spherical,  having  short,  erect  or  reflexing  petals, 


CLASSIFICATION     AND     SELECTION  145 

which,  in  some  varieties,  are  prettily  fringed  or  toothed 
at  their  tips.  A  great  number  of  varieties  exist,  of 
which  the  following  are  typical:  Alena,  Daze,  Onita, 
Vera,  La  Purite,  Globe  d'Or,  Dawn,  Little  Pet  and 
Baby  (Fig.  32). 

Section  9. — Pompon-Anemones 

These,  ^  the  name  indicates,  are  varieties  having 
quilled  florets  in  the  center  and  an  outer  ray  of  flat 
petals  surrounding.  The  class  includes  some  very 
pretty  kinds,  as  Astarte,  Briolas,  Perle,  Grace  Darling, 
Mr.  Astie  and  Marie  Stuart. 

Section  10. — Single-floivered  varieties 

These  have  Daisy-like  flowers,  a  row,  or,  in  some 
cases,  two .  rows,  of  petals  surrounding  the  central  disc. 
This  large  and  beautiful  class  has  been  unaccount- 
ably neglected  in  this  country,  for  beyond  one  or 
two  varieties  of  the  Mizpah  type,  a  single  Chrysan- 
themum is  rarely  seen.  An  English  list  at  hand  offers 
no  less  than  150  distinct  varieties,  so  there  is  no  dearth 
of  choice.  There  should  be  great  possibilities  in  this 
class  for  those  who  have  gardens  in  the  South  and 
Far  West.  Some  of  these  singles  have  very  large 
flowers  of  bright  colors  and  exceeding  beauty.  A  few 
good  ones  are:  Beautiful  Star,  Daisy,  Earlswood 
Beauty,  Ellen  Smales,  Golden  Gem,  Ladysmith,  Miss 
Mary  Anderson  and  Oldfield  Glory. 

Section  11. — Spidery,  Plumed,  Feathery  and 
Fantastic  varieties 

A  class,  as  the  name  would  suggest,  embracing  a 
number  of  oddities  that  originate  from  time  to  time, 


146  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

and  in  it  are  some  graceful,  pretty  things,  as  Golden 
Thread,  Golden  Shower,  Little  Jewel,  King  of  Plumes, 
Mrs.  Filkins  and  What-Ho. 

SOME   SELECTIONS    FOR   SPECIAL   PURPOSES 

The  following  selections  have  been  made  as  repre- 
senting the  best  varieties  of  the  present  to  grow  for 
the  purposes  indicated.  It  should  be  borne  in  mind, 
however,  that  the  merit  is  tentative  only,  as  the  yearly 
acquisition  of  new  varieties  might  create  the  necessity 
for  a  considerable  revision  a  year  or  two  hence,  and 
almost  the  entire  selection  may  become  obsolete  within 
a  decade.  The  one  substantial  ground  of  desirability, 
however,  is  found  in  the  interest  that  may  accrue  from 
these  selections  in  the  future,  when  they  will  serve  as 
a  record  of  what  was  considered  most  meritorious  at 
the  time  of  their  compilation. 

EXHIBITION    FLOWERS — PROVED    STANDARD    KINDS 

White. — Mrs.  H.  Eobinson,  Merza,  Ben  Wells, 
Nellie  Pockett,  Mme.  Douillet,  Guy  Hamilton,  Timothy 
Eaton,  Mme.  Carnot. 

Yellow.— $.  S.  Vallis,  Mrs.  E.  Thirkell,  Cheltoni, 
Col.  D.  Appleton,  Bessie  Godfrey,  Yellow  Eaton,  Mrs. 
W.  Mease,  Golden  Wedding. 

Pink.—W.  Duckham,  Mrs.  Geo.  Mileham,  W.  A. 
Etherington,  Leila  Filkins,  F.  A.  Cobbold,  Lady 
Hopetoun. 

Crimson.— S.  T.  Wright,  Maynell,  H.  J.  Jones, 
Lady  Roberts. 

Varicolored  varieties. — W.  R.  Church,  John  Eraser, 
Mary  Inglis,  Lord  Salisbury,  L6hengrin,  Harrison  Dick, 
General  Hutton,  T.  Carrington,  Ethel  Fitzroy,  Rustique. 


CLASSIFICATION     AND     SELECTION  147 

VARIETIES   FOR  SPECIMEN   PLANTS 
BUSH   OR   STANDARD 

White. — Ivory,  Mutual  Friend,  Mrs.  J.  R.  Tranter, 
Mrs.  H.  Weeks,  Mrs.  F.  A.  Constable. 

Pink'. — Aretliusa,  A.  J.  Balfour,  Louis  Boehmer, 
Pink  Ivory,  Dr.  Enguehard,  Mrs.  J.  G.  Breer, 
Yanariva. 

Red.-*>~B\ack  Hawk,  John  Shrimpton,  Shilowa, 
The  Bard,  Eed  Warrior. 

Yellow. — Mrs.  R.  Hooper  Pearson,  Col.  D.  Ap- 
pleton,  Peter  Kay,  Robert  Halliday,  Georgiana  Pitcher. 

Varicolored. — Casco,  dark  garnet;  Millicent  Rich- 
ardson, claret ;  Kate  Broomhead,  bronze ;  Charles  Davis, 
light  bronze;  Lady  Hanham,  cerise  pink. 

Anemone-flowered. — Halcyon,  white;  Garza,  white; 
Surprise,  pink;  Red  Robin,  red;  Thorpe  Jr.,  yellow. 

Pompons. — Angelique,  white;  Orea,  pink;  Elko, 
magenta;  Julia,  strawberry  red;  Savannah,  yellow. 

SOME  OF  THE  BEST  VARIETIES  FOR  SINGLE-STEM  PLANTS 
IN    SIX-INCH    POTS 

White. — Alice  Byron.  Merza,  Mutual  Friend,  Mrs. 
J.  R.  Tranter,  Nellie  Pockett,  Ben  Wells,  Mrs.  H. 
Robinson. 

Yellow.— Cheltoni,  Col.  D.  Appleton,  F.  S.  Vallis, 
C.  J.'Salter,  Goldmine,  Matthew  Smith,  Percy  Plum- 
ridge,  Mrs  T.  W.  Pockett,  Major  Bonnaffon. 

Pink. — W.  Duckham.  Brighthurst,  Leila  Filkins, 
Dr.  Enguehard,  F.  A.  Cobbold,  A.  J.  Balfour,  Viviand 
Morel. 

Varicolored. — Donald  McLeod,  Harrison  Dick, 
W.  R.  Church,  Brutus,  Kate  Broomhead,  Henry  the 
Second,  T.  Carrington. 


148  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

VARIETIES     FOR     COMMERCIAL     CUT     FLOWER     CULTURE, 
LISTED    IN    THE    ORDER    OF    THEIR    FLOWERING 

White. — Mme.  Bergman,  Polly  Rose,  Miss  Alice 
Byron,  Mrs.  H.  Robinson,  Mrs.  H.  W.  Buckbee,  Tim- 
othy Eaton,  W.  II.  Chadwick,  Merry  Christmas. 

Yellow. — Monrovia,  Soleil  d'Octobre,  R.  Halliday, 
Col.  D.  Appleton,  Major  Bonnaffon,  Yellow  Eaton, 
Golden  Wedding,  Yellow  Chadwick. 

Pink. — Glory  of  the  Pacific,  Mrs.  Coombes,  W. 
Duckham,  Dr.  Enguehard,  Marie  Liger,  Maud  Dean, 
John  Burton. 

Bronze. — Ethel  Fitzroy,  Donald  McLeod,  Harrison 
Dick,  Kate  Broomhead,  Mounier. 

Crimson. — J.  Shrimpton,  Lord  Hopetoun,  S.  T. 
Wright,  W.  R.  Church. 

SOME  PROMISING  NEW  VARIETIES 

White.— Emily  Mileham,  Mrs.  D.  V.  West,  White 
Coombes,  Beatrice  May,  Melle  Anna  Debono,  Clemen- 
tine Touset,  Mme.  Jeannie  Nonin,  Mrs.  Swinburne. 

Yellow. — Merstham  Yellow,  Mrs.  W.  Duckham, 
Alliance,  Mrs.  M.  J.  D'Arcy,  Roi  d'ltalie,  Reveil  de 
Begle. 

Pink. — Mrs  H.  A.  Allen,  Valerie  Greenham, 
Brighthurst. 

Crimson. — J.  H.  Silsbury,  Henry  Perkins,  Mers- 
tham Red. 

Varicolored. — J.  H.  Doyle,  Mrs.  A.  J.  Miller,  Dora 
Stevens,  Souvenir  de  Calvat  Pere. 


CHAPTER    XX 

History  of  the  Chrysanthemum 

The  early  history  of  the  Chrysanthemum  collected 
and  combed  by  Professor  F.  W.  Burhidge  of  Dublin, 
is  recognized  as  the  most  concise  and  correct  treatise 
on  the  subject  known.  From  this  work  the  following 
is  condensed: 

Of  all  flowers,  that  which  has  been  said  to  repre- 
sent "cheerfulness  under  adversity'* — the  Chrysanthe- 
mum, or  "Golden  Flower"  of  the  Greek — may  fairly 
be  called  the  "Queen  of  Autumn/'  Six  varieties 
were  described  by  Breynius  as  being  cultivated  in 
Holland  two  centuries  ago.  Originally  introduced  to 
England  from  the  Celestial  Empire  in  1754,  it  seems 
first  to  have  been  cultivated  by  that  celebrated  gardener, 
Miller  of  Chelsea,  but  was  soon  afterward  lost  by  some 
unfortunate  accident.  Again  introduced,  this  time  by 
way  of  Marseilles  in  1789,  it  reached  London  in  1795, 
and  in.Curtis's  "Botanical  Magazine"  for  1796  we  find 
a  colored  figure  of  Chrysanthemum  Sinense  (there  de- 
scribed under  the  name  C.  Indicum),  the  result  of  the 
second  advent.  Phillips,  in  his  "Flora  Historica,"  pub- 
lished in  1824,  tells  us  that  the  new  plant  was  sold  at 
a  high  price  soon  after  its  introduction,  but  it  was  not 
until  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century  that  it 
attracted  attention  as  a  florist's  flower.  "Then,"  says 
he,  fflike  the  Roses  of  China,  Chrysanthemums  soon 
escaped  from  the  conservatories  of  the  curious,  and  as 
rapidly  spread  themselves  over  every  part  of  the  island, 
filling  the  windows  of  the  cottagers  and  the  parterres 


150  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

of  the  opulent  with  their  autumnal  beauties,  that  now 
vie  with  the  China  Aster  in  variety  of  color  glory." 

Among  other  peculiar  modes  of  culture  resorted  to 
by  Chinese  gardeners  in  Chrysanthemum  culture  is  the 
engrafting  of  cuttings  on  to  a  strong-growing  species 
of  Artemisia  (^4..  Indica)  as  a  stock.  The  idea  of 
grafting  is  suggestive,  as  some  of  the  more  delicate 
rooting  kinds  might  be  grown  by  being  grafted  or 
inarched  upon  rooted  cuttings  or  sucker  stocks  of  a 
robust,  strong-rooting  character.  Some  may  think  this 
idea  impracticable,  but  Chinese  gardeners  rarely  take 
any  special  trouble  in  plant  culture  without  a  sound 
reason  for  so  doing.  One  reason  why  grafting  might 
be  useful  is  that  by  its  means  new  sports  might,  in  all 
probability,  be  obtained.  Fortune  tells  us  of  the  beauty 
of  the  Chrysanthemum  in  oriental  gardens,  and  how 
banks  of  gorgeous  blooms  are  illuminated  at  night 
with  lanterns,  and  even  gigantic  effigies  are  made  up 
entirely  of  their  lovely  flowers. 

The  first  Chrysanthemum  that  ever  flowered  in 
England  bloomed  in  Colville's  nursery,  in  the  King's 
Road,  Chelsea,  in  1795,  the  plant  having  been  obtained 
originally  from  M.  Cels,  the  celebrated  nurseryman  of 
Paris.  At  this  time,  and  for  some  little  time  afterward, 
botanists  could  not  agree  as  to  its  botanical  position; 
some  of  them  contended  that  it  was  one  of  the 
Camomiles  (Anthemis),  while  others  declared  that  it 
was  unmistakably  a  Pyrethrum  or  Feverfew,  but  at  last 
it  was  decided  that  it  should  be  called  Chrysanthemum, 
from  "chrysos,"  gold  or  golden,  and  "anthos,"  a  flower. 
Sabine,  who  was  Secretary  to  the  Horticultural  Society 
at  the  beginning  of  the  present  century,  says,  however, 
that  Chrysanthemums  had  been  grown  in  Holland 
nearly  as  far  back  as  the  year  1688 ;  but,  singular  to  say, 
in  1821,  no  gardener  in  Holland  knew  anything  of 


HISTORY    OF     THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM  151 

them.  In  1808  their  cultivation  had  increased  to  some 
nine  or  ten  varieties,  and  it  went  on  increasing,  many 
varieties  being  collected  for  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society  in  China  and  Bengal  in  1821  by  Mr.  Parks. 
At  the  end  of  1825  the  number  of  varieties  seems  to 
have  been  increased  to  forty-eight,  and  in  1826  Sabine 
writes  most  cheerily  concerning  their  rapid  progress, 
and  of  an  astounding  large  exhibition  of  them  being 
held  in  t^e  society's  garden  at  Chiswick,  in  which  were 
shown  over  700  plants  in  pots. 

ORIGIN    OF    THE   POMPONS 

In  1845  the  late  Mr.  Robert  Fortune,  who  was  se'nt 
to  China  in  1842  by  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society, 
brought  home  with  him  from  Chusan  (an  island  on  the 
east  coast  of  China)  a  semi-double,  reddish  or  light 
brown,  small  Chrysanthemum,  which  was  called  the 
Chusan  Daisy.  The  Horticultural  Society  propagated  it, 
and  sent  it  out  among  its  members.  From  some  of  these 
members  it  was  sent  to  M.  Lebois,  a  perfect  enthusiast 
in  Chrysanthemum  growing,  in  Paris.  He  seeded  it, 
the  autumns  of  France  being  more  favorable  to  that 
operation  than  the  cold,  foggy  ones  of  England,  and 
from  this  seed  he  raised  a  great  many  good  varieties, 
which  came  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  S alter,  late  of  the 
Versailles  Xurseries,  Hammersmith,  who,  in  his  day, 
did  more  to  popularize  Chrysanthemums  in  England 
than  any  other  man.  This  is  the  generally  received 
history  of  the  Pompon  varieties  of  Chrysanthemum, 
though  the  names  given  to  them  as  far  back  as  1821 
and  1825,  Park's  Small  Yellow,  Blush  Ranunculus, 
etc.,  for  instance,  show  that  there  were  small  varieties 
grown  then;  indeed,  in  the  Horticultural  Society's 
Transactions  for  February,  1821,  there  are  colored 
plates  of  small,  many-petaled  varieties,  but  they  were 


152  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

not  called  Pompons  until  the  French  got  hold  of  them 
in  1845-6. 

In  1846  a  new  era  commenced  in  the  history  of 
the  Chrysanthemum,  for  at  that  time  Mr.  Fortune 
brought  from  China  two  small  flowering  varieties  of 
the  "Chusan  Daisy."  From  these  two  varieties  have 
sprung  all  the  Pompons  now  in  cultivation.  The 
French  growers  gave  them  this  name,  Pompon,  from 
the  resemblance  of  the  flower  to  the  tuft  or  pompon 
on  the  soldiers'  caps. 

Japanese  Kinds. — These  were  brought  over  by  Mr. 
Fortune  on  a  second  visit  to  Japan  about  the  year 
1859  or  1860.  The  precise  date  is  uncertain,  but  at 
least  one  variety  was  figured  in  the  Botanical  Magazine 
as  somewhat  of  a  novelty  in  1863,  so  it  must  be  about 
the  time  mentioned  that  they  were  introduced.  The 
French  and  Guernsey  growers  soon  got  hold  of  them 
and  improved  them  immensely. 

Show  Chrysanthemums. — In  1850  we  find  the 
Chrysanthemum  taking  rank  as  a  winter  exhibition 
plant  at  the  meetings  of  the  Caledonian  Horticultural 
Society,  which  at  that  time  held  its  shows  in  what  is 
now  the  Eoyal  Botanical  Gardens,  Inverlieth.  Here 
we  are  told  that  Chrysanthemums  were  the  principal 
flowers  exhibited. 

It  is  interesting  to  find  that  the  Siamese  have 
adopted  the  Chrysanthemum  as  their  national  emblem. 
Breynius  in  1689  described  it  as  Matricaria  Japonica 
maxima,  from  which  name  we  may  infer  that  the 
earliest  known  large  flowering  kinds  came  originally 
from  Japan,  especially  so  as  he  speaks  of  yellow,  white, 
blush,  purple,  rose  and  crimson  varieties.  Linnaeus 
in  1753  referred  to  two  species,  C.  Sinense,  with  large 
white  flowers,  and  C.  Indicum,  with  very  small  yellow 
blossoms,  both  double  and  single.  The  Dutch  florists 


HISTORY    OF     THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM  153 

seem  to  have  been  the  first  to  cultivate  C.  Indicum 
(Pompon),  which  had  found  its  way  to  Amboyna  and 
Malabar.  Rheede  figures  it  as  early  as  1699.  Kaempfer 
noticed  it  in  1712,  and  Thunberg  describes  it  (also  as 
Matricaria)  in  1784. 

Mr.  Fortune  told  us  long  ago  that  the  Chinese 
made  life-sized  images  of  their  blossoms,  but  who  would 
suspect  the  "moon-faced  celestial"  of  liquor.  And  yet 
we  are  told  that  "in  China  a  liquor  is  distilled  from 
the  flowers  of  the  Chrysanthemum,  which  is  re- 
garded as  an  elixir-vitae,  and  in  the  Chinese  phar- 
macopoeia a  powder  of  the  flowers  or  florets  dried  is 
prescribed  as  a  cure  for  drunkenness." 

Large-flowered  Chrysanthemums. — The  credit  of 
introducing  the  first  living  plants  of  the  large-flowered 
or  C.  Sinense  race  (1789)  belongs  to  M.  Blanchard, 
an  enterprising  merchant  of  Marseilles.  The  consign- 
ment consisted  of  three  varieties,  white,  violet  and 
purple,  the  latter  only  reaching  him  alive.  This 
variety  is  so  well  figured  in  the  Botanical  Magazine, 
t.  327,  that  we  have  no  doubt  as  to  its  identity.  It  was 
not  the  wild  type,  but  one  of  the  many  semi-double 
forms  at  that  time  cultivated  in  Chinese  gardens. 
This  kind  caused  such  a  sensation  that  Sir  A.  Hume 
and  Mr.  John  Reeves  (tea  buyers  for  the  then  opulent 
East  India  Company)  turned  their  attention  to  intro- 
ducing other  Chinese  varieties. 

In  1830  seedlings  were  first  raised  in  France,  the 
produce  being  remarkable  for  variability,  much  to  the 
delight  of  the  amateurs  of  Toulouse  and  Avignon,  who 
now  began  to  christen  their  seedlings  after  their 
national  celebrities. 

The  first  English  seedlings  were  raised  in  or  about 
1830  by  Mr.  Isaac  Wheeler,  gardener  and  porter  at 
Magdalen  Hall  (now  Hertford  College),  Oxford. 


154  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

These  he  reared  from  home-saved  seeds  at  Beaumont 
Buildings,,  in  that  city,  and  on  December  2,  1832,  he 
exhibited  some  of  his  seedlings  in  London,  and  received 
a  silver  Banksian  medal  for  them  as  the  earliest  seedling 
Chrysanthemums  raised  in  England. 

About  1836  seedling  Chrysanthemums  were  pro- 
duced in  the  Channel  Islands  for  the  first  time,  and  a 
great  improvement  began  to  be  effected  among  large- 
flowered  varieties.  Many  of  these  early  Channel  Island 
varieties  were  obtained  by  Mr.  Chandler,  then  of  the 
Tauxhall  Nursery.  In  1838  Mr.  S alter  settled  at  Ver- 
sailles, and,  finding  the  climate  suitable,  imported 
many  of  the  best  known  varieties  from  England,  and 
set  about  their  further  improvement.  In  1840  his 
collection  of  English,  French  and  Jersey  seedlings 
amounted  to  between  300  and  400  distinct  kinds.  In 
1843  seedlings  began  to  be  raised  in  the  nursery  at 
Versailles. 

The  first  public  Chrysanthemum  show  for  cut 
blooms  was  held  at  Stoke  Newington  in  1846.  To  Mr. 
Fortune,  as  has  been  stated,  we  are  indebted  for  the 
original  Pompon  from  China,  .namely,  the  Chusan 
Daisy,  introduced  in  1846,  and  thence  dates  a  new  era 
in  Chrysanthemum  culture  so  far  as  this  section  goes. 
In  the  "Gardeners  Magazine  of  Botany"  for  1850  we 
find  many  varieties  of  these  French  Daisy  kinds  de- 
scribed, and  four  sorts  are  represented  in  a  colored 
plate. 

Modern  Japanese  Varieties. — Both  the  large-flow- 
•ered  and  Pompon  varieties  were  largely  grown  and 
much  improved  up  to  1862,  when  again  Mr.  Fortune 
introduced  a  new  strain  in  the  shape  of  seven  varieties 
from  Japan.  So  singular  were  these  in  shape  and 
color  from  all  reputed  standards  of  perfection  at  the 
time,  that  they  barely  escaped  total  neglect,  and  conse- 


HISTORY    OF     THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM  155 

quent  extinction.  At  the  present  day,  however,  these 
once  neglected  kinds  stand  in  the  first  rank  as  decora- 
tive plants,  and  finer  and  still  finer  varieties  make  their 
appearance  every  year.  Mr.  Salter,  in  1865,  lamented 
that  some  of  the  best  original  Chinese  tasseled  kinds 
were  wholly  lost.  Of  those  then  grown,  however,  he 
mentions  Golden  Lotus,  Quilled  Pink,  Tasseled  White, 
Tasseled  Yellow,  Two-colored  Incurved,  and  Yellow 
Waratahf  Where  are  these  kinds  now  ?  Lost,  no  doubt, 
in.  the  race  after  novelty.  One  Japanese  kind  which 
Mr.  Salter  tried  to  bring  home  was  unfortunately  lost 
on  the  way.  This  had  its  florets  edged  very  beautifully 
with  a  hair-like  fringe.  Writing  from  a  florist's  point 
of  view  in  1S65,  Mr.  Salter  says:  "The  form  of  the 
flower  has  become  so  beautiful  that  it  seems  scarcely 
possible  any  amount  of  cultivation  can  improve  it,  but 
both  size  and  color  may  be  augmented/' 

Kow  we  have,  however,  form  more  perfect,  colors 
more  vivid,  and  size  considerably  augmented  by  im- 
proved methods  of  culture,  if  not  also  by  actual  seminal 
variation.  In  the  modern  Japanese  varieties  we  have 
form  and  color  of  the  most  beautiful,  and  also  another 
valuable  quality,  many  of  them  blooming  a  month 
later  than  the  other  kinds,  and  so  we  can  extend  the 
Chrysanthemum  season  by  their  aid. 

A  blue  Rose  may  be  an  impossibility,  but  we  are 
told  that  a  variety  of  the  Chrysanthemum  exists  in 
Japan  with  blue  flowers.  It  is  represented  very  fre- 
quently on  Japanese  porcelain,  both  ancient  and  modern, 
especially  that  of  Satsuma  and  Kioto ;  it  also  appears  on 
cloisonne  enamels  and  embroidery.  In  the  "History 
of  Nin-toku-ten-wau"  the  following  passage  occurs: 
"In  386,  in  the  seventy-third  year  of  his  reign,  seeds 
of  the  Chrysanthemum  were  first  introduced  into  Japan 
from  a  foreign  country,  both  blue,  yellow,  red,  white 


156  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

and  violet/'  The  Japanese  commentator  remarks: 
"By  a  foreign  country  is  meant  the  kingdom  of  Paik- 
tse,  one  of  the  States  of  Corea."  In  the  palace  of  the 
Mikado,  at  Kioto,  is  an  apartment  decorated  entirely 
with  paintings  and  carvings  representing  this  popular 
Japanese  flower. 

AMERICAN"    HISTORY    OF    THE    CHRYSANTHEMUM 

There  is  no  authentic  record,  in  fact,  not  even  a 
tradition  as  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  the  first  intro- 
duction of  the  Chrysanthemum  to  America,  yet  it  must 
have  been  brought,  or  sent,  to  this  country  quite  early 
in  the  last  century. 

The  New  England  Farmer  of  November  26,  1830, 
reports  on  some  Chrysanthemums  exhibited  before  the 
Massachusetts  Horticultural  Society  by  its  recording 
secretary,  E.  L.  Emmons,  on  November  20,  and  gives  a 
list  of  varieties,  as  for  example :  Tasseled  White,  Park's 
Small  Yellow,  Quilled  Lilac,  Quilled  White,  Golden 
Lotus  and  others,  and  from  the  similarity  of  the  names 
to  those  already  mentioned  in  the  English  collections, 
their  origin  is  clearly  indicated. 

The  late  Peter  Henderson  was  the  first  to  intro- 
duce into  this  country,  direct  from  Japan,  some  of  the 
best  varieties  known  at  that  time,  1863,  which  were  on 
exhibition  in  New  York  and  Philadelphia  in  1864.  A 
notice  in  the  Gardeners  Monthly,  January,  1865,  as  a 
footnote  to  a  very  interesting  article  on  Chrysanthe- 
mums by  "Kuf us,"  is  as  follows : 

"Peter  Henderson  has  three  superb  ones  from 
Japan,  very  distinct  from  the  common  forms,  and  which 
will  have  an  immense  run.  Orandiflorum  is  very  large, 
with  peculiar  strap  shaped  petals,  golden  yellow  and 
very  double.  Laciniatum  beautifully  fringed,  magnifi- 


HISTORY     OF     THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM  157 

cent,  a  great  favorite  with  the  ladies.  (This  is  illus- 
trated in  the  number  of  the  Gardeners  Monthly  re- 
ferred to.)  Japonicum  has  remarkably  twilled  petals 
orange  and  brown,  and  standing  erect,  while  the  whole 
flower  nods,  making  it  look  precisely  like  a  rich  tassel." 

By  those  introductions,  Peter  Henderson  kindled 
the  flame  which,  fanned  by  John  Thorpe  and  other 
enthusiasts,  gave  the  first  impetus  to  Chrysanthemum 
culture  irr  America.  We  have  no  evidence,  however,  of 
any  attempt  to  improve  the  flower  till  comparatively 
recent  times,  and  here  again  Boston  leads  the  way.  To 
Dr.  H.  P.  Walcott  of  Cambridge,  Massachusetts,  belongs 
the  honor  of  first  raising  new  Chrysanthemums  from 
seed  which  was  ripened  in  his  own  garden.  His  first 
seedlings  were  exhibited  before  the  Massachusetts  Hort- 
icultural Society  at  Boston  during  the  autumn  of  1879. 
In  subsequent  years  he  raised  great  numbers,  many  of 
considerable  merit,  and  which  were  distributed  by  the 
firm  of  Pitcher  &  Manda  of  Short  Hills,  New  Jersey ;  a 
firm,  by  the  way,  that,  in  addition  to  distributing  and 
importing  new  kinds,  also  raised  many  good  ones,  and 
in  other  ways  did  much  that  enhanced  the  popularity  of 
the  Chrysanthemum  in  America. 

Mr.  John  Thorpe,  in  association  with  V.  H. 
Hallock  &  Sons  of  Queens,  New  York,  was  one  of  the 
pioneer  workers,  as  were  also  the  firm  of  Edwin  Fewkes 
&  Son  of  Newton  Highlands,  Massachusetts,  W.  K. 
Harris,  R.  Craig  and  H.  Waterer,  all  of  Philadelphia, 
and  T.  H.  Spaulding  of  Orange,  New  Jersey. 

The  chief  American  raisers  of  today  are  The  E.  G 
Hill  Co.,  Richmond,  Indiana ;  Nathan  Smith  &  Son, 
Adrian,  Michigan,  and  J.  N.  May,  Summit,  New  Jersey. 

There  is  also  the  Chrysanthemum  Society  of 
America,  organized  in  1890  to  promote  the  advance- 
ment of  the  flower  for  which  it  stands.  Its  publica- 


158  THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 

tions  will  put  on  permanent  record  the  doings  of  our 
day  and  time.  Especially  valuable  is  its  last  report 
containing  a  list  of  nearly  3000  varieties  of  Chrysanthe- 
mums with  name  of  raiser  and  introducer ;  if  imported, 
with  date  of  introduction.,  and  of  distribution.  Besides 
this,  committees  of  the  society  pass  judgment  upon  new 
varieties  submitted,  and,  if  worthy,  award  certificates 
to  the  same.  In  short,  the  society  is  working  on 
broad,  general  lines  for  the  common  good  of  all  inter- 
ested, and  making  history  that  future  generations  will 
justly  appreciate. 


INDEX 

PAGE  PAGE 

Air   15,  22,  75,  99,Composts  8,11,73.82,88 

Aphis    122|Corythuca,  Gossypii   ......116,127 

Australian  chrysanthemums.. 117  Culture,   commercial   87 


Benches    14 


51 


For  exhibition  3 


Width  of  15Cuttings   4,82,88 

Insertion  of  6 

Selection  of  6 

Temperature  for  7 


Blooms,  boxes  for 

Packing*the 
Bone 

Boxes    14  Damping    „ 55 

Break,  first,  second  and  third  29  Diseases   122 

Bud,  taking  the  27,  35,  84,  9(V Division    Ill 

Buds,  care  of  the 54  Exhibiting    58 

Crown    27,31,36     Preparation  for   59 

Crown,  objections  to 40 .Evaporation    23 

First  crown  30|Feeding    42,  75,  90 

Second  crown  29,  33  Fertilizer,  chemical   47 


Terminal   27,  32 

Timing  38 

Bugs    126 

Caterpillars    124,127 

Chrysanthemums, 
Anemone  varieties...  ...143 


Liquid     46 

Flowers,  boxes  for  60 

Packing  for  exhibition  59 

Staging   the    63 

Fly,  black  and  green  122 

Fungous  diseases  128 


Australian    117, Grasshoppers   124 

Classification    135,History    1,  49 

Commercial  types  92  Hybridizing   96 

For  bedding 110  Insects  122 

For  special  purposes 135, 146ilntroduction    1 

Hairy    142  Iron    50 

Hardy  105,Judging  58 

History  of  the   149,Leaf  spot   132 

Hybridizing   96!Lime    50 

Incurved    140:Manures    43,  84 

Japanese    14l|    Choice  of  47 

Japanese  incurved  142,Mildew  134 

Japanese  reflexed  142iMulching   43 

Miniature    85  Nitrate  of  potash  50 


Miscellaneous  varieties 


.145 


Of  soda 
Nitrogen 


Plants  in  six-inch  pots 81 

Pompons   107, 143J Overfeeding  52 

Pompon  anemones  145  Pests  122 

Pot  plants  93, 110  Phosphoric  acid  51 

Raising  from  seed  94  Pinching  71 

Reflexed    142  Plants,  bush  70 


Short  stemmed 

Single  flow3red  varieties.... 145 

Society  of  America  67,157 

Specimen  plants   70 

Standard    ..79 


Type  for  the  South 114  Planting 


Old    4 

Specimen    70 

Standard    71 

Varying  hight  of  39 

Young  8 


.18,  88 


160 


THE     CHRYSANTHEMUM 


PAGE  PAGE 

Points,  scales  of  67  Standard    chrysanthemums...  79 

Pollen  97  Stem  rot 133 

Pompons 107, 143  Stopping  71 

Potash  49  Suckers  . .  . .  25 


Pots   14 

Potting  19,  82 


Sulphate  of  ammonia  49 

Of   iron    50 


Propagation    4,  73,  82,  88,  111 

Time  for   5  Temperature 

Red  spider  123  Thrips 


Syringing  23,  82 

55,  85 

. . .123 


Rust    .............................  128  Top-dressing 


Scales  of  points, 
For      bush      and 


standard 


Training   ......................  23,  79 

Tying    ............................  24 


plants   67  Varieties,  selection  of, 


For  single  stemmed  plants.. 
Specimen  commercial  blooms 
Specimen  exhibition  blooms.  69 

Seed  sowing  99 

Shading  56 

Side  shoots  25 

Soil    11,  88 

Specimen  plants  70 

Sports  101 

Spraying  24 

Staging 


Staking 


84 


For   commercial   cut   flower 

culture    148 

For  exhibition  flowers 146 

For  single-stemmed  plants.. 147 
For  specimen  bush  or  stand- 
ard plants  147 

Some  promising  new  148 

Ventilation   21,  75 

Water,  deficiency  of  23 

Excess  of 23 


79  Watering    22,100 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
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.MAR   I?  I934 

A  nn     1  Q    1  no 

\ 

APR   U  1931 

I 

M/"\\/        "I        1  ft*5*7  

NQV     1    1937 

.    • 

WAY  10  1984  rj 

<** 

REG.  CIR.  M/l^fM 

LD  21-100m-7,'33 

YB  48602 


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